Newport’s Department of Public Services has awarded a $133,200 contract to GZA Geoenvironmental Inc. for the design and construction administration of the King Park Sea Wall reconstruction project.
The contract, approved by the City Council on Wednesday, aims to address flooding issues resulting from sea level rise and the impacts of climate change, particularly severe rainstorms.
Mayor Xay Khamsyvoravong highlighted the significance of the project during the council meeting.
“This captures one of several strategies that the city is using to mitigate flooding that’s happening as a result of a combination of both sea level rise and the impacts of climate change, particularly in the form of severe rainstorms,” Khamsyvoravong said.
The project is part of a larger initiative funded by the Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank’s Municipal Resiliency Program. Newport received the highest grant from this program, according to the mayor.
“This, combined with the tide gate that was recently installed, is expected to substantially reduce the number of routine flooding events happening in this area,” Khamsyvoravong added.
The sea wall reconstruction is designed as an adaptive measure to absorb more stormwater surge when it occurs. City officials believe this approach will help protect the area from future flooding events.
Councillor David Carlin sought clarification on the scope of the contract, asking, “This is just for design and construction administration, right? This is not… That’s what this $133,000 is for, correct?”
The mayor confirmed that the funds are specifically allocated for design and construction administration services.
“An incredible amount of good work went in from the city on this. In order to both win this grant, but also to be thoughtful about this innovative design,” Khamsyvoravong said, commending the staff for their efforts.
The sea wall reconstruction is expected to work in tandem with other flood mitigation measures already in place, such as the recently installed tide gate. Together, these initiatives form a comprehensive strategy to protect Newport’s coastal areas from rising sea levels and increased storm activity.
While the exact timeline for the project’s completion was not discussed during the meeting, the approval of this contract marks a significant step forward in Newport’s climate adaptation efforts.
