NEWS INFORMATION FROM |
|
|
THE OFFICE OF MAYOR STEPHEN R. REED |
FOR IMMEDIATE USE |
NEW CITY ISLAND BOAT LAUNCH OPENED; MARKET STREET BRIDGE AND ISLAND RAMP IMPROVEMENTS SOON COMPLETEDA wave of City Island improvements are done and others are nearing completion, Mayor Stephen R. Reed announced today during ribbon cutting activities for the new City Island Boat Launch, which replaces the smaller, damaged public boating access ramp on the southwestern side of City Island. Also expected to be completed in the next two weeks are major new improvements to the Market Street Bridge across City Island, and the Bridge underpass and ramps leading onto the Island. Reed said the first project to be completed is the $156,699 reconstruction and upgrade of the public boat access ramp on the Island. Funded by a PA Fish and Boat Commission grant in the amount of $111,000, with $45,699.30 in matching city funds, the new public launch facility offers an array of amenities and space that provides more boater convenience and should speed launch times for those using the facility. Included in the work was: o Lower sections of the ramp were removed and replaced, as well as widened, and the lower ramp surface has been textured to provide better traction for users; o A new concrete mooring area has been added, replacing the former railroad ties previously used, with built-in tie-offs constructed for up to five vessels at a time; o Brick pavers have been installed to reduce erosion, and a new sidewalk from the parking area to the ramp has been installed to provide handicap accessibility. 2 new handicap-only parking spaces have also been added near the launch ramp; o Stone rip-rap has been added around the new mooring area and the nearby bridge pier, and the mooring area has been filled with sand; o First-ever lighting has been installed on the mooring and launch areas, and new trees and other vegetation and landscaping have been added to further stabilize the wooded areas around the launch ramp; o Newly developed signage has been installed, which offers a comprehensive marine map of the Susquehanna River waterway around City Island, showing boating channels, hazards, buoys and other important water safety information. Reed said this is the most significant upgrade of City Island’s public boat launch area in nearly two decades, and has resulted in a “magnificent new public access area that was designed with the boating public in mind. Expanded mooring areas and a well-designed, expanded and enhanced launching ramp will speed launches and provide amenities to the boating public that makes using the facility easier and more convenient.” The Mayor said the project was designed by the city-based firm of H. Edward Black and Associates, PC, with construction work performed by Doug Lamb Construction. The project was managed by City Department of Parks and Recreation Director Tina Manoogian-King, with assistance from Parks Maintenance Bureau Director Russell Corkle and City Island Superintendent Michael Breslin. Work at the site began this past March. Reed noted that extensive work elsewhere on the Island has been or is nearing completion, including the major expansion and upgrade of the circa-1934 Market Street Bridge underpass and City Island ramps. The $3,632,005 Bridge enhancement project includes: o Demolition of the existing underpass and replacement with a wider, higher structure that allows for multiple traffic and pedestrian lanes and walkways; o Expansion of the north ramp to allow for wider traffic lanes, and the installation of new sidewalks, curbing, steps, guardrails and other amenities; o Widening and relocation of the south ramp, which will allow for easier bus access and movement, as well as the installation of new sidewalks and curbing, wider traffic lanes and a new public picnic area; o Resurfacing of the Market Street Bridge roadway where it crosses City Island, and the installation of new sidewalks, lighting, guardrails and other Features. Reed said the project cost is being entirely funded by federal transportation funds. The preliminary engineering and design work was performed by the Harrisburg Parking Authority. Final design services were provided by Urban Engineers, Inc., and project management has been provided by District 8-0 of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. “This is a significant improvement to City Island, which now attracts over 1 million visitors a year,” said Mayor Reed. “The project benefits both pedestrian and vehicle access and use of the Island, and should make it safer, faster and easier to get onto and off the Island during peak periods. It also improves the appearance and attractiveness of the Island’s primary entrances.” In other City Island improvement news, the Mayor noted that new restroom and comfort facilities have been added to the Island’s RiverSide Village Park, on the northeast side of the Island facing downtown and near picnic areas and the Pride of the Susquehanna Riverboat docks. The custom-designed and molded concrete facility meets ADA requirements and is now large enough to allow for baby carriage access. Other completed projects include: o Rip-rap, using rocks, has been placed in the mid-central part of the Island’s eastern shoreline to stabilize it and prevent erosion and future flood damage; the same rock emplacements have occurred on sections of the Riverfront Park embankment for the same purpose; o The replica John Harris Trading Post has been rehabilitated and upgraded, with a handicap accessibility ramp added; o The mound of displaced dirt from Commerce Bank has been mulched and planted by Black Landscaping Company as a donated Island beautification project; o The Beach House at the Island’s northern shore has undergone an upgrade, with ramps and support columns repaired, new rampway traction brushing, replacement concrete and painting work completed; o At Skyline Sports Complex, new skirting to buildings has been installed, new sod added to the field area, and locker room and lavatory floors have been replaced. These additional projects were mostly done with a combination of flood insurance and FEMA flood damage monies at no cost to the city, with some work having been performed in-house by city crews. “We continue to enhance and upgrade different areas and elements of City Island so as to improve the public’s access and enjoyment of Harrisburg’s waterfront,” said Mayor Reed. “Our special appreciation is extended to the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission,” said the Mayor. “They have been very helpful in making Harrisburg’s waterfront safe and accessible for thousands of boaters a year.” established by the Commonwealth in 1866, the Commission is celebrating its 140th Anniversary this year, making it one of the oldest continuously-operated state agencies in existence. Reed said with over a million visitors a year, “Harrisburg City Island has now become one of the top visitor destinations in the midstate, joining Hershey, Gettysburg, the Lancaster Dutch Country, and the state Farm Show Complex as one of Central Pennsylvania’s top tourism attractions and visitor points-of- destination.” City Island is home to three professional level teams playing baseball, outdoor soccer and minor league football. Reed said that with Memorial Day Weekend, all City Island facilities are open for the summer months, the busiest time of the year at the waterfront. |
|