Site work for a water / sewer project in Newburyport, Massachusetts. Conceptual plans call for site work for a water / sewer project.

This project will repair and rehabilitate the significantly deteriorating and corroding steel 45 -year-old bulkhead at the embayment and the eastern section of the central waterfront, including replacing the steel mooring pilings. The project will also raise the bulkhead cap in anticipation of se a level rise. This project has been deferred for eight years since the completion of "Phase I" in 2014, which repaired the western section of the bulkhead and the fish pier bulkhea d, and costs are significantly increasing as well as threats to the structural stability of the system. The bulkhead supports the boardwalk, the waterfront park, and the seasonal floats for visiting boaters, all of which are at the heart of Newburyport's identity and tourism-based economy, and are used extensively by thousands of people every year. The old 1977 bulkhead is at the end of its service life with large holes opening up which are allowing fill to escape from behind the seawalls, the anchor rods securing the sheet pi les in the embayment are breaking, and the mooring pilings are breaking. Plans and permits are currently being updated by the City's consulting marine engineers. Constr uction must be done in the winter. The City has been awarded federal funding totaling $2.25M and has applied for additional funding through U.S. Economic Development Administration's (EDA) Travel Tourism and Outdoor Recreation program. It is anticipated that the remainder of the project would be funded through a borrowing authorization split between the General Fund and Harbormaster Enterprise Fund. This project is included in the city's FY 2023-2027 Capital Improvement Program. As of September 14, 2022, further details regarding design and construction timelines have not been identified. *Project information has been obtained through a public capital improvement plan (CIP). A CIP is a financial schedule for short- and long-range projects which is updated regularly. Information listed in the CIP often evolves based on funding availability and the project details, including timeline and value, are subject to change. The content management team will continue to pursue additional details as they become available.