TAVERNIER – On Thursday, Monroe County completed a $33,828 project to repair the dock next to the boat ramp at Harry Harris Park, 107 E. Beach Road, in Tavernier.

The dock was stripped down to the pylons. The old decking was removed and the support structure was repaired. A new structural plastic decking, which is slip resistant and low maintenance, was installed.

“It’s a cedar color and looks beautiful,” Monroe County project manager Cary Knight said.

The project went quicker than expected, lasting just two weeks.

The County also is working on two boat ramp projects. On June 20th, construction will begin a $112,525 project to repair the County boat ramp at the end of State Road 4A on Little Torch Key. The ramp will be closed during construction, which is expected to be completed Sept. 18.

The Gulf side ramp will have a cofferdam built around it so water can be pumped out to repair the concrete and work on the erosion around the ramp.

“A lot of time boaters will pull in and don’t realized that by running their motors to pull their boat onto their boat trailers they are eroding the natural sea bed,” Knight said.

Riprap will be put in place to help with erosion. Texture grooves will be cut into the ramp to help with traction. The grooves also will be at an angle, designed to self-clean. The new ramp will be safer, with less chance of boaters backing too far down the ramp at low tide.

The dock next to the ramp also is being improved, likely with the same slip resistant decking product used at Harry Harris Park.

A third County boat ramp project, at the end of Barcelona Avenue on Big Coppitt Key, is currently out to bid. It will add a concrete dock with stainless steel cleats. That project will not begin until August at the earliest.

“We don’t want too many boat ramps out at once,” Knight said.

A list of all 10 County boat ramps are available at http://fl-monroecounty.civicplus.com/Facilities?clear=False