Rehabilitation and Resiliency of the Port of Galilee, Rhode Island’s Largest Commercial Fishing Port

Abstract: The Port of Galilee (Port), located in Narragansett, Rhode Island is a State managed port, managed by the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, Coastal Resources Division (RIDEM). The Port is one of the largest ports on the East Coast and is known for high volumes of squid landings. The Port is the 18th highest value US port per a recent NOAA Fisheries of the United States assessment; it is also the 4th highest value fishing port on the East Coast (NOAA 2022). The full development of the Port occurred during the 1930s through the 1980s when waters of the state were filled to develop the current Port of Galilee. Much of the current infrastructure, bulkheads, and piers, were most recently reconstructed between the 1980s and 1990s.

Significant portions of the existing infrastructure within the Port have reached or is nearing the end of its useful service life. RIDEM has taken a proactive stance in the past 5-6 years implementing an asset management strategy that involves the phased replacement and/or repair of failing infrastructure. This approach has seen the execution of several projects, from preliminary design and investigations to construction, with a focus on future implementation of rehabilitation and sustainability for coastal resiliency within the Port. The series of projects that are included in the overall Port of Galilee Rehabilitation and Resiliency Project (PROJECT), include Phases 1 through 4, long range planning from a Port Assessment Study, and a FEMA funded Hazard Mitigation Assistance Grant being awarded to RIDEM.

Phase 1, 2A, and 2B included rehabilitation of the Port’s bulkhead, mooring facilities, timber piers, onshore utilities, and fire protection system, while incorporating resiliency to sea level rise into the design. As part of the bulkhead design, parameters were established to increase the current bulkhead elevation to 5.06 NAVD88 approximately 3+ feet above MHHW to minimize routine flooding and to maximize current operational coastal resiliency, while maintaining port operations. Phase 1 was designed and installed in a traditional Design-Bid-Build contract approach, while Phase 2A and 2B were implemented utilizing a Design-Build approach. Phase 3 of the PROJECT was implemented as a Design-Build project to remove and replace 3 operating timber piers within the Port.

A Port-wide Assessment was conducted by Pare in 2023/2024 to assess the current condition of waterside infrastructure within the Port of Galilee and to determine immediate, near-term, mid-term, and long-term improvements necessary to maintain the economically vital commercial fishing port. As a result of the Assessment, emergency repairs were implemented to maintain current operations, and new phases were developed based on the immediate and near-term concerns, Phase 4; which includes the replacement of the last segment of aging bulkhead and the replacement of three more timber fishing vessel piers.

In conjunction with the Port-wide assessment, RIDEM, with the assistance of Pare, filed and received notification of award for rehabilitation and sustainability of Port infrastructure under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program for about $12.5 Million worth of design and construction for seven piers within Port of Galilee.

How does this project / topic contribute to the advancement of the industry and profession?: This Project represents the intricate balance of developing and constructing engineered solutions while maintaining operational use of a vital and regionally important commercial fishing industry, while also planning and designing for coastal resiliency protections of the port for both observed and projected sea level rise. This project demonstrates the ability to increase protections from current sea level rise, but still maintaining operational levels, and designing for minimal impacts to the Port for future sea level rise.

Does the project / topic implement new and innovative techniques, materials, technologies, and delivery methods?: Construction within the Port has historically been the traditional Design-Bid-Build delivery method. The first phase of this Project demonstrated that the Port’s changing needs would benefit greatly from the early involvement of an engineer-contractor team in a Design-Build delivery method. The aim was to guide Owners and stakeholders in a collaborative effort that can alleviate unexpected construction conditions and provide innovative approaches to implement traditional construction to facility Port operations and plan for coastal resiliency with the focus on increasing service life for particular components to accommodate future sea level rise.

What was the most challenging aspect of your project / topic and how did you handle it to ensure success?: The most challenging aspect of this Project is the site itself, and the ongoing operations of this traditional New England commercial fishing port. The Port of Galilee is the largest commercial fishing port in Rhode Island, and required the construction be completed in a manner that would allow port operations to continue throughout the fishing seasons, which for this port is a year-round operation. The key to accommodating this goal was made largely in part to the active lines of communication with the Design-Build Team, the Port Manager, and Port stakeholders (companies occupying the port) throughout the construction process.

Who is the target audience for this paper?: The target audience is waterfront engineers, marine contractors, owners, port managers, stakeholders, and policymakers, to better understand the critical economical asset these old New England waterfront structures still provide. Through the lessons learned from this Project, the goal is to ultimately understand that a design-build model can provide additional benefits to the Owner, stakeholders, and the environment; as well as the economic benefit of rehabilitating and providing resiliency for sea level rise for our aging New England commercial fishing ports.