One of Lafayette’s busiest boat launches is now closed.
Rotary Point will be under construction for the next two to three months as crews work to make major repairs.
Right now, the parking lot is filled with heavy equipment as crews begin construction.
“This is really the only time the contractor will be able to work because he needs good weather because he will be working from the river on these barges with these cranes driving in the sheet piling to make it more stable and better for a long time to come,” said David Cheramie, Bayou Vermilion District Chief Executive Officer.
The current bulkhead or retaining wall is deteriorating. It’s used to help control erosion.
Crews will also reconstruct the wharf and sidewalk around the boat launch.
“It was actually starting to fail. We need to go in and reinforce the bulkhead to make it better for the next 100 years,” Cheramie said.
Construction plans at Rotary Point have been in the works since 2015, but they were delayed because of the August 2016 flood.
“We had a lot of repairs that needed to be made at Vermilionville because we were damaged by the flood also,” said Cheramie. “We needed to go back and revisit our specifications for the work to be done and make sure everything was done right.”
The project is expected to cost roughly $700,000 and is partially funded through a bond issue voters approved in 2015.
“The wharf around it will be much better and better for the boaters to get in and out of their boats. We also have a lot of fisherman and people that just come and enjoy this park,” Cheramie said.
The North Landing Boat Launch is also closed off of Louisiana Avenue.
The Bayou Vermilion District expects construction there to be complete in six months.
Right now, the only operable boat launch is at Beaver Park off the Evangeline Thruway.
