Port Orange council hears update on Causeway boat-ramp rebuild; contractor award slated for next meeting

Port Orange city officials gave an update on plans to rebuild the Causeway boat ramp and accessory docks at Causeway Park, telling the council the project will reconstruct ramp lanes, replace the current wood floating dock with a concrete floating system and repave 22 adjacent parking spaces. Parks and Recreation Director Susan Lawler said the city has selected a contractor and the contract will be presented for award at the council’s next meeting; staff and the engineer of record said construction scheduling currently targets an Aug. 1 mobilization and a one‑year overall project timeline.

The project matters because the Causeway ramp has been in place for roughly 40 years and city and engineering staff said recurring scour, timber deterioration and heavy use make a full rebuild necessary. “We are gonna have a concrete accessory dock … it’s gonna be robust. It’s gonna be also ADA compliant,” said Shailesh Patel, engineer with Dredging and Marine Consultants, describing the new floating dock and gangway arrangement.

Patel told the council the work will include replacing three main ramp lanes plus the ADA lane; installing sheet piles on three sides of the ramp to lock the structure in place and prevent undercutting; and installing a grooved concrete surface to improve traction. He said the project also includes repaving 22 parking spaces immediately adjacent to the ramp and creating a laydown/staging area under the Dunlopton Causeway Bridge to keep construction materials out of public circulation.

On timing and procurement, staff and the engineer cautioned that lead times for the custom floating dock system can be long. Patel said the manufacturer’s lead time is roughly six months for the floats and that the city’s strategy will be to have the contractor place material orders early so the components arrive before closing the ramp for the final installation. Susan Lawler said the selected contractor’s contract will be presented for award at the next council meeting and staff will set a preconstruction schedule after contract execution. Lawler added the city will use signs and QR codes to keep boaters informed about closures and progress.

Council members and public commenters pushed on interim safety and mitigation while the ramp remains in service before construction begins. Resident Eugene T. Healy III told the council the facility is “sketchy” at times with heavy use by large boats and urged the city to consider interim safety options and contractor scheduling incentives to reduce closure length. Council members asked whether temporary dockage or short‑term fixes were feasible; staff said temporary floats and short‑term repairs were investigated but either lacked durability through recent hurricane seasons or would require permitting and structural work that raised safety and liability concerns.

Patel discussed technical details raised by council members, including ramp grades and water depth. He said the existing low‑tide depth near the concrete end is about four feet at mean low water and that the design will use a steeper initial grade combined with a point of inflection so boats reach deeper water sooner without creating excessively steep backing sections. He also described the city’s proposed groove pattern for the ramp concrete, intended to keep vehicle tires on grooves for better traction.

Staff flagged funding and permitting constraints that affect schedule and scope. Lawler and City Manager Wayne (last name not specified in the transcript) told the council some project costs were reimbursable under FEMA grant rules tied to prior storm damage, which imposes timing and documentation requirements; Lawler said that process limited the city’s ability to begin certain work earlier. She also said the city will coordinate staging and scheduling so the parking renovation and ramp reconstruction minimize simultaneous closures.

The next steps described to the council were: formal contract award at the next council meeting; a preconstruction meeting to confirm lead times and a start date; early ordering of floating docks by the contractor; and public outreach (signage and QR updates) to inform boaters about closure windows and alternatives. Staff said nearby ramps within a roughly 10–15 mile radius will remain available while construction proceeds.

Council members and residents emphasized minimizing the time the ramp is out of service and exploring contractor incentives to compress the schedule. Staff said those topics will be discussed in preconstruction planning and contract language where permitted. The council did not vote on construction authorization at the meeting; staff said the contract award will be brought forward for formal action at the next meeting.