Boston National Historical Park Superintendent Cassius M. Cash (standing) appearing before the Charlestown Neighborhood Council on Tuesday explaining the proposed water pipe replacement project.
Boston National Historical Park Superintendent Cassius M. Cash appeared before the Charlestown Neighborhood Council on Tuesday night to explain that the National Park Service (NPS) has awarded a $4.8 million contract to replace the water main, hydrants, valves and water distribution pipes within the park in the Charlestown Navy Yard. The project will also remove hazardous obstacles and abate asbestos from a utility tunnel that runs under First Avenue from Gate 1 to Fifth Street and replace the crumbling sidewalk which acts as the roof for the utility tunnel. Abandoned gas and steam pipes and other hundred year-old utilities will be removed from the tunnel along with a 16 inch water main.
“National Park Service Director Jon Jarvis recognized the importance of this project for the health and well-being of our residents and visitors when he approved it last May,” Superintendent Cash said. “The nearly $5 million project is the largest NPS line-item construction project in the country right now, which says a lot about how important this resource in Charlestown is in the grand scheme of things.”
Cash said that the project is slated to start in March and will last about 14 months. He told board members that the water pipes that are being replaced were first installed in 1902.
He also noted that the Navy Yard will be undergoing extensive renovations and the price tag including the water pipes will be in the $30 to $35 million range and some sidewalks will be impacted especially during the water pipe replacement phase.
The National Park Service awarded the contract to R. Zoppo Corporation, a Stoughton, Massachusetts based general contractor established in 1925. A Notice to Proceed was issued on January 24th and the time allowed to complete the requirements of the contract is 425 consecutive calendar days from that date. Unless extensions are granted, the contract period will expire on March 25, 2015. The abandoned parking lot will be used as a staging area during the renovation process.