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DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES News Release LINDA LINGLE GOVERNOR _________________________________________________________________________________________________________
LAURA H. THIELEN, CHAIRPERSON
Phone: (808) 587-0401
Fax: (808) 587-0390
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For Immediate Release:
October 11,
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HONOLULU— The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) has undertaken a project to install a new “F” dock at Ala Wai Small Boat Harbor. The project involves constructing a new aluminum floating dock system with water and electrical utilities, marina power pedestals, gangway, dock boxes, access gate, and concrete pad. On Tuesday, October 9, DLNR’s contractor Sea Engineering began delivering modular sections of the floating dock to the Ala Wai Small Boat Harbor, which were unloaded directly into the water. The modular sections, which were fabricated at a shop in Waialua, Oahu will be connected together in the water to form the main pier. When fully assembled the main pier, with finger piers and gangway will measure approximately 650 feet long by 88 feet wide. The new F Dock will have 35 finger piers extending from a central pier and will have 70 slips. “The new dock system was selected because of its durability and low maintenance,” said DLNR Chairperson Laura H. Thielen, “An added benefit of this modular dock system is that it can be easily reconfigured and quickly repaired if it is damaged. This design should prove to be more cost effective in the long run.” “This design should prove to be more cost-effective in the long run,” she said. Installation project cost is $935,000. Completion is expected in the spring of 2008. In March 2006 Governor Linda Lingle released $1,650,000 for the design and construction of F Dock. Funds were authorized under Act 178, SLH 2005, Item H-10. The design engineer firm for the project was Mitsunaga and Associates, Inc. The existing concrete F Dock system, located on the mauka (toward the mountains) side of the Ala Wai harbor launch ramp and adjacent to Floating Dock G, was installed in 1972. This structure was demolished in 2004 after it was determined to be unsafe and beyond repair. In the interim, a temporary floating dock system (main pier only) was installed and subsequently relocated to the Haleiwa Small Boat Harbor in late September 2007. The new floating dock system is constructed out of 6000 series marine grade aluminum frames, which sit on heavy-duty polyethylene foam filled floats. The aluminum frame is topped with plastic composite decking. The main pier alone will be approximately 580 feet long by 8 feet wide and will be connected to the shore by an aluminum gangway. Finger piers will be provided on both sides of the main pier to provide safe access to the boats moored at this dock. There will be 21 30 foot-long finger piers on the mauka side and 15 50 foot-long finger piers on the makai (toward the ocean) side of the main pier. Some parking stalls near the dock site will be used for staging of equipment during construction. The project to replace Floating Docks B, C and D is currently being designed. Actual construction is scheduled to begin in the fall of 2008. Design work for Piers 500 and 700 and transient docks is scheduled to begin in early 2008. The improvements at the Ala Wai Small Boat Harbor are part of a multi-year effort by the Lingle-Aiona Administration to upgrade small boat harbor facilities statewide. For years, the majority of the state’s small boat harbors, launch ramps and related infrastructure have been in need of major repairs. While $30 million worth in repairs have been made in the past four-and-a-half years, there is still a backlog of nearly $250 million in needed infrastructure repairs due to years of neglect. “We are committed to upgrading and properly maintaining small boat harbors across the state to ensure the safety of residents and visitors who use these important public facilities and to enhance ocean and recreation opportunities,” said Thielen. DOBOR operates and manages 21 harbors, 50 ramps, 2,122 moorings and berths and 19 piers across the state. The division works in close partnership with DLNR's Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE) and the U.S. Coast Guard to make nearshore waters safe. The division is also responsible for registering all vessels in Hawai‘i which are not documented by the U.S. Coast Guard and for regulating and permitting surf meets, canoe and yachting regattas, ocean swimming events and other ocean events with the concurrence of the U.S. Coast Guard.
Edward Underwood |
