Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority (SSA) provides ferry services from Cape Cod to the islands of Martha’s Vineyard (via Woods Hole) and Nantucket (via Hyannis). GZA teamed with the architecture firm BIA.studio.
Challenge
The Woods Hole Ferry Terminal had two functional slips and a third berth, all with deteriorating waterfront structures that were susceptible to storm surges. The project objectives were to (1) provide three functional slips to streamline ferry operations, (2) upgrade the condition of the waterfront structures (3) upgrade and relocate the administration offices offsite, (4) provide a new, updated terminal building and (5) improve the resiliency of the waterfront facility to protect against storm surge damage.
Solution
GZA provided coastal-, civil- and geotechnical engineering and environmental services to the SSA as part of a multi-faceted design team responsible for the design, coastal permitting, MEPA permitting, and reconstruction of the Woods Hole terminal. Restricted by the requirements that the terminal remain fully functional during construction, and that waterfront construction and sitework not be performed during the summer high-travel season, seven separate construction contracts will have been awarded over the course of 10 years in order for the SSA to fully achieve its goal of having an efficient, resilient terminal for the next 50 years. The contracts, in chronological order: (1) Offsite Administration Building, (2) Temporary Terminal Building, (3) Existing Terminal Building Demolition, (4) Waterside Reconstruction, (5) Bilge Pump-out and Sanitary Connection, (6) Landside Grading/Utility Enabling, (7) Landside/Terminal Building/Utility Building Reconstruction.
Benefit
GZA’s responsibilities included: Local/State/Federal Permit Application preparation; assistance in developing a flexible, phased reconstruction plan; achieving enhanced resilience against extreme floods, while providing Americans with Disability Act compliant access; improving an stormwater management system and other utilities; developing waterfront design parameters; directing geotechnical explorations; marine-geotechnical design; peer review of waterfront design; environmental services (management of hazardous materials); environmental monitoring pre-, post- and during construction including Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (SAV) surveys; providing testing services (dynamic pile testing) and providing construction administration and conflict resolution during water-side construction.
