ADA-compliant kayak ramp takes seven years to complete

After seven long years, Occoquan’s kayak ramp project is nearing completion.

In 2013, Occoquan was awarded a grant through the Federal Highway Administration’s Recreational Trails Program.

The grant was to be used for the construction of an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)-compliant, non-motorized watercraft launch under the Route 123 bridge. The intent of the project is to provide free water access to all in the community, including people with disabilities. 

The ramp was projected to take only a short amount of time to build.

“The town is required to obtain a Commercial Building Permit from Prince William County for the project. The actual construction of the project will take approximately 45-60 days to complete,” stated the town council’s project summary document.

So, why has the project taken seven years to finish?

According to Mayor Earnie Porta, a number of things caused the delay, including personnel changes and securing permits.

However, one of the largest considerations was the exact site of the launch.

“One of the important things about this ramp was that it would be the only free, public access ramp on the Occoquan for people with ambulatory disabilities east of the High Dam. Although it was easy to design the launch itself that way, substantial design changes were necessary to make the slope of the access ramp to the launch appropriate for individuals with ambulatory disabilities,” Porta explained.

According to Porta, this site was chosen despite necessitating design changes because of its shallow water depth and ease of public access — there was already a parking lot nearby.

“The location that ended up being most suitable for public access has a significant slope that required a long switchback ramp to meet ADA requirements. In other words, the ideal location ended up being different than what was originally anticipated, and this necessitated a different kind of ramp,” said Porta.

To make these necessary changes, Occoquan had to find and secure additional funding for the project which, even with the help of Virginia’s Department of Conservation and Recreation, was challenging according to the mayor.

“Truth is that this project would never have come to fruition without the extensive cooperation and commitment of Virginia’s Department of Conservation and Recreation. They stayed committed to this project throughout and persevered through challenges,” Porta said.

Porta did not respond when asked when the kayak ramp would be finished.