By Zack Anchors

Staff Writer



The municipal boat ramp at Bug Light State Park, which has been
deteriorating for years, will soon be partially repaired. Reinforced
concrete panels on the west side of the ramp that have cracked and
shifted will be replaced, according to Tom Myers, South Portland’s
director of Waterfront and Transportation. At their Oct. 2 meeting, the
city council accepted a $15,000 small harbors improvement program
(SHIP) grant from the Maine Department of Transportation for the
project and awarded a bid to T. Buck Construction Inc. to complete the
work.



“We’ve been working since 2002 with the Department of Conservation on
this,” Myers said. “The west side of the boat ramp is really in
disrepair.”

Myers said the ramp currently has exposed rebar sticking out in places
and is difficult for boaters to use. The ramp provides public access to
the Fore River, with fees collected at the ramp funneling into an
enterprise account. Residents pay $3 to launch a boat.



Originally, the city had put out for bid repair of the entire ramp, but
after only receiving one bid that exceeded the available funds, the
city revised the plan to include repair of only the west side of the
ramp.



Because the revised bid offered by T. Buck Construction Inc. was still
$14,867 beyond what the city had available, Myers searched for
available funds and found the SHIP grant.



The city council had already approved $86,400 in funds for the project,
and the state also donated $15,0000 in materials to be used for the
project. Myers said the department of conservation was giving the city
some old railroad steel that could be used to reinforce the concrete
panels. The total project value is now at $115,000, including the
design and engineering costs.



“I’m amazed at how creative Tom can be at finding money,” said City
Councilor Kay Loring, echoing the praise of other councilors.



Myers said he expects the work to be done by December.