State and local officials celebrated the completion of a long-term repair project at the Charlestown Breachway last week, wrapping up an $8.4 million effort to restore one of Rhode Island’s most important coastal infrastructure sites.
Work began last November and was completed in late March. Contractors reconstructed the west breachway wall in two tiers of stone, reusing dredged material to restore the town beach, repair erosion along the wall’s west side and construct two storm-resilient dunes. The project also included channel dredging and beach re-nourishment, with additional plantings planned for fall.
Funding came from multiple sources: $5 million allocated by the state through the Coastal Resources Management Council at the request of DEM, $2 million from CRMC for dredging and $1.4 million from the Town of Charlestown.
The work restored the breachway’s structural integrity, improved navigation, stabilized the coastline and preserved water flow in and out of Ninigret Pond to maintain ecological balance and water quality.
“Rhode Island’s coastal communities are on the frontlines of climate change impacts, and by working together we’ve made the necessary repairs to this critical infrastructure,” said Governor Dan McKee.
The project was a collaboration among DEM, CRMC, the Town of Charlestown, the Rhode Island Salt Ponds Coalition, Save The Bay and the University of Rhode Island/Rhode Island Sea Grant.
A separate coastal habitat restoration project is ongoing at Ninigret Barrier Beach at East Beach in Charlestown, led by DEM in partnership with Save The Bay, focused on removing invasive plants to restore natural dune function and wildlife habitat.
