Two water-based projects are currently underway on the island: dredging in Old Harbor and the sea2shore cable reburial project at Fred Benson Town Beach.
First Warden Ken Lacoste provided insight into the two projects during a Town Council meeting on Monday, Oct. 5.
The cable reburial project, undertaken by National Grid and Ørsted, will be reburying two sections of the undersea cables, with sections of new cables to be spliced onto the existing cable that connects the island, the Block Island Wind Farm and the mainland. National Grid has stated that its portion of the project will cost $30 million. The Block Island Times has verified from two independent sources that the Ørsted portion of the project will cost more or less the same, bringing the total cost of the project to about $60 million.
Harbormaster Kate McConville also provided a message to the community on the two projects on Tuesday, Oct. 6.
“There is a lot of equipment arriving to the island for the cable reburial project, and some of it will be stored on the water side in Old Harbor and New Harbor. During the same time this fall and winter, the Army Corp. will be
