By J.W. Oliver
An excavator waits at the top of the boat ramp under construction in Dresden Tuesday, Sept. 15. The boat ramp could be complete before the end of the month. (J.W. Oliver photo) |
Dresden’s new public boat ramp on the Kennebec River in the shadow of the Dresden-Richmond bridge could be complete before the end of the month.
“They suspect it will probably be done at the end of next week,” Dresden Planning Board Chairman Jeffrey Pierce said during the board’s meeting at Pownalborough Hall Tuesday, Sept. 15.
“They’re trying to squeeze in as much parking as they can for us to accommodate people,” Pierce said. “They’re going to pave all the way down around the curve and underneath the bridge.”
“They’ll pave just the approach part to the landing and then it’ll go to dirt,” he said. “It’s looking really great.”
Woolwich contractor Reed & Reed is building the boat ramp free of charge. Reed & Reed landed a $14.3 million contract to build the new Dresden-Richmond bridge and remove the old bridge in 2013. The new bridge opened Dec. 5, 2014.
The project would otherwise cost the town approximately $120,000. Instead, the town will pay up to $22,000, including a $20,000 fee to the Maine Department of Environmental Protection for wetland impacts and legal expenses.
