Hampton Bicentennial Park: Seawall to get $3M makeover to better withstand tides
HAMPTON — A local oceanfront park is about to get a much-needed structural facelift, as town officials plan to replace the crumbling seawall at Bicentennial Park.
Noticeably deteriorating for years, the town first investigated the condition of the Bicentennial Park seawall in 2016 to find it was in structural failure, needing emergency stabilization. After obtaining an emergency permit from the state Department of Environmental Services, large stones, known as revetment or riprap, were placed at the seaside bed of the existing wall.
This provided more stability, according to Hampton DPW Director Jennifer Hale, but it wasn’t a permanent fix, and the situation was getting worse each year.
Hampton voters approved funding for the $3 million replacement project at the March 2023 Town Meeting. Hale said the project is slated to go out to bid to hire a contractor in May.
Two feet shorter than the state’s seawall that abuts it, the wall endured “overtopping” as powerful waves continued to wash over it, causing erosion. The constant moisture also induced the inner concrete of the structure to weaken as its compounds reacted with the salt water, causing a condition known as alkali-silica reaction.
Hale said to keep people away from the wall, the town placed concrete jersey barriers in front of it in 2018.
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Details on new Bicentennial seawall and other improvements
Tighe & Bond, the engineering firm for the project, recommends the complete replacement of the 375-foot-long seawall, plus raising its height by more than a foot to equal that of the abutting state wall.
In addition, the plan is to build a new concrete maintenance ramp to replace the sand and gravel one that already exists.
Along with addressing the structural needs of the seawall, the project includes some patron-friendly aspects, Hale said.
A concrete sidewalk will be installed to run parallel to the new wall, replacing the current sand walkway. The parking lot, she said, will also be reconstructed.
Hale said four new 20-foot-long concrete benches will replace existing seating, allowing visitors to sit and enjoy the eastern ocean views or the western volleyball court and children's play area.
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What is the timeline for new, taller seawall?
Hale said the town is preparing documents to put the project out for bid next month. Sealed bids are due in late July, with one of the requirements being contractors must be able to begin work quickly in August and finish by November 30.
While the work is ongoing, the park and its parking lot must close, she said, so the construction can proceed, with the contractor chosen to secure the area.
Currently, the parking lot is closed, she said, as work to repair the damage caused by the storms that ravaged the Seacoast over the past five months is underway. However, Hale estimates that work should be completed soon, and she expects the parking lot to reopen by May.
Bicentennial Park has been a popular destination with Hampton residents for nearly 50 years.
According to town records, the site was originally a station for the U.S. Life Saving Service in 1898, a precursor of the Coast Guard, which it merged with in 1915.
The earliest seawall was a timber bulkhead, according to town records, with the first concrete wall installed in 1940 and repaired in 1950.
The Coast Guard station was removed from service in 1969, according to town records, with the structure burning down in 1973. Bicentennial Park was established two years later.
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This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Hampton seawall to get $3M makeover to better withstand tides
