CHARLESTOWN — Damage to Charlestown’s bridge breakthrough during last winter’s storms will be repaired with the help of federal funds and state assistance, city officials said last week.
The developments came after a meeting of the various stakeholders on August 7 at the liaison office, said Administrator Jeffrey Allen.
“The purpose of the meeting was to bring together all parties involved and discuss possible interim solutions for the west wall of the breach,” Allen said.
Allen sent a letter to the director of the state’s Coastal Resources Management Council, Jeffrey Willis, on July 24, requesting permission to make a temporary emergency repair to the west wall of the breach.
“I emphasized that this repair is absolutely necessary to stop the flow of sediment into the shipping channel and thus ensure public safety and the overall health of Ninigret Pond,” Allen said.
Then on Aug. 2, the city submitted an application to the CRMC for emergency maintenance approval, assisted by Willis and Terry Gray, director of the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Quality. The application was approved the same day, Allen said.
The emergency request called for the use of sandbags to reinforce the western wall, but after the site visit on August 7, it was determined that these were not sufficient, Allen said, so the focus was on using stones.
Three severe storms between late December and early February eroded the adjacent beach, destroyed the dune system and damaged the breach structure. The storms created a crack in the wall, allowing water to continuously flow through the opening.
The current has caused additional sand to enter the canal, reducing circulation in the pond and posing a significant hazard to shipping, Allen said.
Participants in the Aug. 7 site visit included Gray, Emily Hall, representative of the state’s Coastal Resources Management Council, Marc Pappas, director of the Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency, Rob Lyons, chairman of the Coastal Ponds Commission, Jonathan Lyons, owner of Ocean House Marina, City Council President Deborah Carney, state Rep. Tina Spears and representatives of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
On Friday, the CRMC posted a brief statement on Facebook saying that the council and “its local, state and federal partners are working on a long-term solution for the Charlestown Breachway.”
Charlestown has also requested direct appropriations from Congress to obtain money to repair the damaged wall in connection with the dredging of the canal.
In October 2023, the city applied for a Municipal Resilience Program Action Grant from the Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank to address the impacts of climate change, rising sea levels and storm surge on the Charlestown Breachway Barrier beach-lagoon system, Allen said.
“The first phase of the project will focus on working with adjacent landowners, RIDEM and USFWS, as well as engineering, design, permitting and public outreach,” he said. “The second phase will include reconstruction of the west wall of the breach, dredging, dune restoration and planting dune grass.”
The city finally received a grant and the first phase of the project has begun.
Jon Lyons, president of Ocean House Marina, has taken an active role in restoring the culvert to good condition. On August 8, he sent an email to the marina’s “friends and customers” asking for their help in “saving the culvert.”
It outlined the problems on the ground, including the damage to the Western Wall.
“Over the past few months, our team has been working hard behind the scenes to gain buy-in from community stakeholders and local, state and federal agencies,” Lyons said. “We hope to complete a comprehensive breach reconstruction and channel dredging, but this can only be accomplished with state and federal funding. We are confident this project will move forward, but time is of the essence to secure funding in time to take action this coming fall and winter.”
Lyons said he gets calls daily from people inquiring about the status of the breach, offering advice on how and when to navigate the canal and offering to help move the project forward.
“At this point, the most helpful thing we can do is call and write to our local and state government officials,” he said. “As a community, we need to let our representatives know how important this issue is to all of us.”
Allen reiterated that Charlestown remains committed to tackling repairs to the breach.
“We will continue to take all necessary actions to ensure the safety of our waterways, protect local ecosystems and secure the necessary funding for temporary and long-term solutions,” he said. “The engagement and support of our local residents, as well as the collaboration of various stakeholders, will be critical as we work together to restore and maintain the integrity of this vital coastal infrastructure.”
