By BOB MARTIN
Eagle Times staff
CLAREMONT, N.H. — The Ashley Ferry public boat access facility on the Connecticut River in Claremont reopened on Sept. 25 after being closed all summer, and N.H. Fish and Game Statewide Public Boat Access Program Coordinator Garret Graaskamp said that access to the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) ramp will be open sometime next month.
The original ramp was replaced in June with a double-wide slab of concrete, according to Graaskamp. A platform in the parking lot is being added to make it accessible for people in wheelchairs when loading their boats into the water.
In July, Graaskamp gave an update on the project and the delays that were caused by powerful weather events that swept through the city. This included high winds and heavy rain, and led to the goal of late August to have the ramp and platform completed. Graaskamp confirmed on Thursday that the ramp was open and gave a rundown of the work still needed to be done to be ADA compliant.
Graaskamp said the ADA platform is built but the railings have yet to be completed. Currently there is a fence chain link fence around it until railings are finished, but the site can be used and is open to the public. Once the railings are up, it will be fully functional.
“We’ve got to paint some stripes on the pavement for parking spaces in front of the ADA platform, and that will be done later in October on a warm day,” Graaskamp said. “But it is open. We may have to close it for a few hours so paint will dry, but it won’t be closed the whole day we think. We’ll have a notice on that.”
The ramp that was being replaced had been there since 1998, and Graaskamp said it was a “major repair” with improvements needed for some time. He said there were parts of the ramp falling into the channel.
This total cost of the project is $500,000 with 75% funded with federal Sport Fish Restoration money. Remaining costs are covered by the N.H. Statewide Public Boat Access Fund, which comes from the $5 surcharge when people register their boats.
“We’re really happy for the support we got from the city with patrols that went down there and so forth,” said Graaskamp. “The city has been really supportive during this time, and we appreciate that.”
