A state dredging project at the Maunalua Bay Boat Ramp in Hawai’i Kai is expected to be completed by February, months earlier than originally projected, as officials report no anticipated delays and continued progress on navigation and shoreline improvements.
The project is intended to remove accumulated sand from the entrance channel and boat ramp to improve navigational safety, while also repairing damaged seawalls and installing sheet pile walls to stabilize eroding shoreline, according to the Department of Land and Natural Resources’ Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation (DOBOR).
DOBOR staff told Aloha State Daily the project’s goals will be achieved once construction is completed and the channel is restored to its targeted depth.
Sand dredged from the entrance channel is being reused on eroded shorelines on both sides of the boat ramp, a strategy officials say reduces costs while keeping sediment within the natural coastal system.
“The true benefit of reusing the dredge sand is that we keep the sand within the littoral system and not disposing it elsewhere,” DLNR Communications Specialist, Ryan Aguilar, told ASD.
Final project costs are projected at $7,155,186, DOBOR told ASD. Staff estimates that reusing dredged sand locally saved approximately $300,000 compared with hauling and disposing of the material upland.
Decisions on where to remove and place dredged material were informed by boater input, sea floor depth surveys and sediment transport modeling, DOBOR told ASD.
Environmental monitoring is ongoing during construction in accordance with the project’s U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permit, which is publicly available through the Corps, DOBOR told ASD.
The project targets a minimum channel depth of 6 feet below mean lower low water. DOBOR and boaters will continue monitoring water depths following completion, and a post-project depth survey will be conducted and made available upon request.
This marks the first time the main entrance channel has required dredging since it was created in the 1960s, leaving officials without historical data to predict when future maintenance dredging may be needed.
DOBOR awarded the original $6.8 million construction contract to American Marine Corp. with work beginning in late July. At the time, officials said no full closure of the boat ramp or entrance channel was anticipated, though intermittent interruptions could occur as work progressed.
DOBOR said dredging is not a one-time fix. Natural wave action, currents and storm events will continue to influence sediment buildup, and future dredging will be conducted as needed to maintain safe access.
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