Posted on February 21, 2017 at 8:53 AM by Communications Department
The West Bulkhead mooring facility refurbishment is underway at the City’s Seafood Industrial Park. Built in the 1980s, the wooden mooring system has suffered extreme
deterioration due to the effects of the harsh saltwater environment. This project will improve the environment, enhance mooring capabilities and extend the life expectancy of the facility by utilizing concrete pilings slightly elevated above the existing wooden pilings.
The new concrete design will allow seafood harvesters and industrial vessels to utilize improved moorings. Its design will last many decades beyond wooden piling construction and will increase vessel mooring safety during heavy weather events and water quality. The project is expected to be complete by summer of 2017.
Crofton Construction, who recently completed the James River Fishing Pier replacement project, was awarded the construction contract. A significant part of refurbishment project is being funded through the Virginia Port Authority’s Commonwealth Port Fund. The grant funding allows the project to move forward without any loss of use of City mooring. The Seafood Industrial Park has become a renowned industrial port along the East Coast, and generates nearly a million dollars annually in revenue for the City, as well as many jobs.