1. The Load and Launch Ramp will be closed Sept. 15-Dec. 15.

2. Rebar sticks out of the current concrete launch ramp because of degradation, erosion has undercut areas in the lowest part of the ramp and tripping hazards exist on the float system.

3. Total project cost is about $3.5 million, with approximately $800,000 coming from the city of Homer and the remainder from a state grant.

 

4. The new ramp will feature a more gradual transition between the uplands and the ramp, improving visibility, but the ramp itself will be steeper, which will mean users won’t have to back their trailers into the water as far as is currently necessary.

5. Launch ramp fees will be collected by an electronic kiosk; staffing will remain the same.

6. New light poles will illuminate the ramp and staging area and will have security cameras.

7. The launch ramp fee — $13— will stay the same for the next 20 years, as outlined in the contract with the main project funder, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.

8. Parking rules will likely get more restrictive at the top of the ramp and along Freight Dock Road.

9. Harbormaster Bryan Hawkins isn’t sure how old the current launch ramp is but knows that the ramp location has changed three times since he came to Homer in 1978.

10. The barge ramp near the small fuel dock, which is a single lane and has no float system, cannot t serve as a replacement for the Load and Launch Ramp during the closure, but vessel owners can contact the Homer Harbor Office to inquire about use of that facility: 235-3160.