HAWAII KAI, Oahu (KHON2) — The Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation will begin construction on a $7 million project on the Maunalua Bay Boat Ramp next week.
The project is not expected to cause minimal disruptions, but bring more space for boat and canoe storage, and a nicer area overall.
Maintenance dredging will stockpile sand from the ramp’s channel and be reused on adjacent eroded shorelines on both sides of the ramp. Additionally, sheet piles will be installed to contain the material and to prevent further erosion.
“When we were developing the scope of work for the project, we realized it was the perfect opportunity to reuse a really good quality material from the channel,” said Finn McCall, DOBOR Head of Engineering Branch.
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For the most part, the day-to-day life of boaters won’t be affected much.
“People would still be able to load and unload,” said McCall. “Here and there, there might be parts of the day where they’re going to have to block off the boat ramp for safety.”
McCall said that boaters would receive ample notice before any type of disruption.
DOBOR also held a meeting Friday afternoon for Q/A from those interested.
“We appreciate the significant community involvement in project planning that helped to optimize ramp access to take effective erosion resistance measures.” said DOBOR Administrator Meghan Statts.
The project is expected to last until April next year.