Bids in to Fix Big Dock

Three firms sent in bids to fix 2004 storm damage to the "Big Dock in Cedar Key. The Levy County Commission will address the issue and is expected to select Lucas Marine Construction, of Stuart, FL for the $3,600,000 job. Lucas Marine will have 270 days to finish construction after beginning work. Negotiations and bonding could be completed by the end of 2007,with the job completed by September 2008.

The Big Dock in October 2007. Note the collapsed finger piers in foregroung and mid-ground.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is the expected source of funds for the $3.6 million project. According to a reliable source, the FEMA project manager has approved the project at his level. The design of the new structure adds five feet to the current level of the dock.

At a mid-October meeting organized by the Cedar Key Area Chamber of Commerce, Erik Brogren recommended an alternative and significantly less expensive design for the dock. Brogren is a retired marine engineer with more than 30 years of engineering experience. He told Cedar Key News that the 2004 storm damage to the dock was caused by a "standing wave" phenomenon that resulted from improper nearby construction. Levy County Commissioner Lillie Rooks attended the October meeting and she has expressed interest in the Brogren proposal.

Update, Oct. 16: At the October 16 Levy County Board of Commission meeting the Lucas Marine Constuction bid was accepted.