Posted on January 24, 2022
Some $20.8 million in funding from the recent federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act has been designated for Massachusetts projects by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, including two projects in the western part of the state.
The bulk of the funding announced this week will be used for repairs to the Cape Cod Canal and dredging coastal ports to improve navigability. Approximately $1.2 million will be used for inland flood control projects such as $350,000 for gatehouse masonry repairs at the Knightville Dam in Huntington and $100,000 for electrical upgrades to the East Brimfield Lake gatehouse.
“Funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act for our ports and waterways will help us grow our economy while enhancing our public safety,” said U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.). “These pieces of infrastructure are critical to communities across the Commonwealth, and I look forward to seeing these important projects move forward.”
“The future of Massachusetts rivers, lakes and seas is bright with this historic investment into our Commonwealth’s water infrastructure,” said U.S. Sen. Edward Markey (D-Mass.). “From fortifying our communities bracing for the present-day impacts of climate change to strengthening our waterways and port infrastructure to sustain our 21st Century shipping economy, Army Corps funding for these projects is critical to economic success in the region and will make our communities safer for years to come.”
The Army Corps of Engineers said coastal dredging projects will include Wareham Harbor, the Essex River, Salem Harbor, Newburyport Harbor, Cuttyhunk Harbor and the Stage Harbor in Chatham.
Projects also include handicap accessibility improvements, parking, walkways and roads at Buffumville Lake, repairs for damage at Hodges Village Dam in Oxford and West Hill Sam in Uxbridge. Approximately $300,000 will be used to reconstruct a section of the Plymouth Long Beach Dike in Plymouth Harbor.
