New Bedford hurricane barrier going offline for inspections and maintenance — here's why

Linda Roy, Standard-Times
·2 min read

NEW BEDFORD — The hurricane barrier extending across New Bedford Harbor will be offline for about three months for routine inspections and maintenance.

The barrier was to close earlier this week, but due to a potentially strong snowstorm heading for the region, the closure is being delayed until after the storm passes.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers noted in a news release that it is required to conduct a dewatering of the New Bedford Hurricane Protection Barrier so operators can thoroughly inspect the areas behind the sector gates that are normally hidden below the water level, as well as complete a variety of maintenance repairs. USACE also plans to replace the wheels along the sector gates and paint barrier structures to prevent corrosion.

“Though the barrier will be offline for approximately eight to 12 weeks and unavailable for routine operations associated with high tides, USACE has procedures in place to have the barrier back to fully operational status prior to the arrival of any forecasted significant coastal storms,” the news release noted.

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The Army Corps has coordinated with the New Bedford Port Authority and the U.S. Coast Guard to notify maritime stakeholders of this pending work and any potential impacts.

Construction on the hurricane barrier began in November 1962 and finished in May 1966 at a total cost of over $18 million.

The New Bedford Hurricane Barrier under construction from 1962 to 1966.
The New Bedford Hurricane Barrier under construction from 1962 to 1966.

The last time the hurricane barrier was closed was in August 2021 as the SouthCoast braced for Hurricane Henri.

The 150-foot-wide marine gate in New Bedford was closed around 7:30 a.m. on Aug. 22 as Henri made its way toward southern New England.

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"It's been a while since the Army Corps has had to close it so far in advance of a major high tide, so this is unusual," New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell said told WCVB-TV that morning.

The storm which turned out not to be as fierce as predicted, resulted in the hurricane barrier reopening later that afternoon.

Standard-Times digital producer Linda Roy can be reached at mailto:lroy@s-t.com You can follow her on Twitter at @LindaRoy_SCT. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Standard-Times.

This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: New Bedford hurricane barrier going offline for maintenance