Bristol’s long-anticipated marina expansion began quietly about three weeks ago with the destruction of the old fishing pier that extended west, then north, into Bristol Harbor behind the Maritime Center in Thames Street. Last week Reagan Marine Construction, the Newport-based contractor, took town officials including Town Administrator Steven Contente, Harbormaster Gregg Marsili, and Economic Development Coordinator Chris Vitale on a tour of the project, which includes a floating breakwater.

The breakwater components were shipped over from Sweden, arriving in Bristol last week via Baltimore and Philadelphia. They're built to withstand a five-foot sea, and will attenuate the swell action that we get typically get from summer’s southwest winds, protecting the infrastructure from the Elks Lodge to the Prudence Island Ferry dock all the way to the new fuel dock on State Street.

Harbormaster Gregg Marsili admits COVID-associated supply chain delays have meant that it has taken more time than anticipated to get some of the equipment, but he remains hopeful that the Marina should be open by Memorial Day.

“What I really like about it is that this is something every resident in Bristol can enjoy,” said Contente. “It will go 650 feet out into Bristol Harbor — the views alone are are terrific out there. And we're going to have access 24 hours a day, seven days a week for the public to go out there and walk on the pier. The main concrete pier is 16 feet wide, and people will be able to fish on the outside pier in the northwest corner. We're going to hopefully by the summer set up some type of fishing station out there, rod holders and that type of stuff.”

With the new slip space, between 48 and 50 residents will come off the off the waiting list to get seasonal slips, an effect which residents like Pat McCarthy of BOOM (Build Our Ocean Marina) have long advocated.

“The [marina] helps meet that demand and consequently, many, many small businesses in town will reap the benefit,” said McCarthy in a statement. “How exciting is that? The waterfront will be a much more vibrant place beginning next summer. Visitors to Bristol, ‘By Sea,’ will increase dramatically,” he added, in reference to the fact that the plan includes both transient slips for visiting boaters as well as dock space adequate to host larger vessels.

Another interesting feature of the dock is the fact that there will be no pylons on the main part of the dock, only on the finger piers. The main dock is held in place with a mooring system anchored by 16-ton concrete blocks, attached to the pier with massive rubber band-like structures.

“It’s new technology for Bristol, but they use it around the world,” said Marsili. “Save the Bay in Providence has a concrete float similar to ours….There's nothing on the bottom but the 16-ton blocks; there's nothing abrasive so it's environmentally friendly.”

“What I noticed when I stepped off Marine Seven onto the concrete float is it didn't budge,” said Contente. “It almost felt like we were stepping on land.”

Just a bit north, the State Street Dock’s fuel pump is all but done, with fuel expected to be delivered any day. They will be open on demand, during the regular business hours of the Harbormaster’s office.