Fairhope, Alabama
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| New plan. |
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| Stakes mark new ramp site. |
RAMP INSTEAD OF ELECTRIC LIFT
During a presentation to the city council recently, city engineer Ricard Johnson said plans for disabled-persons access to the waterfront from the bluff above had been changed due to environmental/technical concerns encountered with the design of the original "funicular" plan (motorized lift).
Project engineers have designed a ramp instead, in conjunction with a new staircase already planned for the bluff-area on the far south end.
The ramp will be built over the bluff on poles to minimize disturbance to the bluff itself; a durable composite material will be used similar to the new handrails on the pier.
DISABLED ACCESS REQUIRED
Since this project received federal grant funding (about $8 million), access for disabled persons must be provided for; federal agencies overseeing the project have already signed off on the changes, Johnson said.
Much of the overall project should be completed by late summer, but full completion probably won't be until the fall, he added.
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| Lift plan canceled. |