Popular public boat launch at Port Bienville to get an upgrade

July 31, 2014

A popular county­owned boat launch inside Port Bienville Industrial Park is about to get a much needed upgrade, thanks to a $250,000 Tidelands grant. The public launch has been a favorite with fishermen for as long as anyone can remember. "It's a very important launch for local folks," said Hancock County Supervisor David Yarborough, who has been instrumental in getting the facility repaired. "A lot of older folks have been using it. If you own boat and love to fish, you know where it is." The Mississippi Department of Marine Resources uses the boat launch on a regular basis, and the Coast Guard has expressed interest in using it for training on weekends. The Navy's Special Boat Unit 22 also has shown its interest in launching at the Port Bienville site. Yarborough said the project has been years in the making. The launch provides access to Port Bienville's industrial canals and the Pearl River. "We feel it's going to be used a lot more," said Yarborough. "This is a win­win." Fishermen will be required to get a pass from the Port and Harbor Commission to get access through the security gate at Port Bienville. Jason Chiniche, the project engineer with Brown Mitchell & Alexander, said the improvements will make the boat launch more user friendly and safer for the public. "There is no pier now and the ramp is extremely short," he said. The 12­foot­wide launch slab will be removed and replaced with a 15­foot ramp for better access. Vinyl bulkhead walls will be put in on both sides of the ramp and a 5 ­foot­wide timber walkway will be built on top of both walls. That will give fishermen easier, safer access when they're getting on and off a boat. The design requires minimal dredging as well as minimal impacts to the surrounding ecological system. Chiniche is working with the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources on the permitting process which will take approximately two months. Once the permit is issued, the design will be finalized and then the project will be advertised for bids.

#Port Bienville Industrial Park, #Services at Port Bienville