Boston Harbor Flood Protection Projects

Patrick Winn said:
New Bedford's hurricane barrier is a beauty.
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Yeah, it looks great :rolleyes:

ma_yy_19967.jpg
 
We should check out this place

"I know you're scared, so I'll order for the table... Just don't make fun of my pronunciation."
<< clears throat >>
"Okay, so we are going to get a party platter of Oosterscheldedam with at least one side of Maeslantkering. The picture in the menu is mouth watering (and measured in meters)!
Even though we probably won't eat the full Deltawerken we should order it anyway. It's always better the next day."

When the check comes, we'll go Dutch.
 
Insulting users and overall negative behavior will not be tolerated. You've been warned.
 
Perhaps a different route to take would be a barrier that extends from Long to Deer Island, incorporating the inevitability of a redeveloped bridge from Squantum
 
Charlie_mta said:
Yeah, it looks great :rolleyes:

ma_yy_19967.jpg
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I've spent a lot of time in New Bedford and I think it's a beautiful city in general, but the hurricane barrier gives it a really unique vibe. It was a massive project and there are walkways along the top of it near downtown. Not the most flattering photo you posted there. Here's one that gives you a sense of the scope.
 

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BeyondRevenue said:
We should check out this place
Oosterscheldedam
Maeslantkering.
Deltawerken
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I reposted my earlier links sans cuteness.
The Deltawerken was a massive project to stave off North Atlantic flooding in the Netherlands. Likely some of you know about it.
Metro Boston would need a fraction of the length and half it's height at our deepest crossings.

Here is the part I'd want to emulate (keep in mind those depth measurements are in meters):
1650815691539.png

Compare that to the area we'd need to cross from Hull to Deer Island:
BostonHarborDepthGap.jpg


Remember, these soundings are in feet.

So, armchair engineers, open up your drawing apps and show me where you would want this very necessary infrastructure piece to go.
Keep in mind that a straight line is not necessarily the right answer.
Costs can be kept down by finding shallower crossing spots.
Factor for a need for resilience
Points are given for dodging historical sights and for finding ways to keep natural beauty intact.
NIMBYs will be considered, but they will not be a blocker as this will have to be an eminent domain project.
 
Patrick Winn said:
I've spent a lot of time in New Bedford and I think it's a beautiful city in general, but the hurricane barrier gives it a really unique vibe. It was a massive project and there are walkways along the top of it near downtown. Not the most flattering photo you posted there. Here's one that gives you a sense of the scope.
Click to expand...

Absolutely. The walkway is great (also great place if you've got a dog/dogs), plus you can access Palmer's Island and the lighthouse. It's a cool city with tons of excellent (and, for now, affordable) architecture that's poised for big things. Don't be surprised if/when New Bedford becomes what Portland, Maine became in the mid-'90s. Unless something disastrous on a national/global level takes place (unfortunately all too possible...) this place will become a new hepster hot-spot.
 
chrisbrat said:
Absolutely. The walkway is great (also great place if you've got a dog/dogs), plus you can access Palmer's Island and the lighthouse. It's a cool city with tons of excellent (and, for now, affordable) architecture that's poised for big things. Don't be surprised if/when New Bedford becomes what Portland, Maine became in the mid-'90s. Unless something disastrous on a national/global level takes place (unfortunately all too possible...) this place will become a new hepster hot-spot.
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I lived there for 4 years and loved it. Not only New Bedford itself, but the surrounding countryside, beaches, and towns are great. And it's near Cape Cod.
 
BeyondRevenue said:
So, armchair engineers, open up your drawing apps and show me where you would want this very necessary infrastructure piece to go.
Keep in mind that a straight line is not necessarily the right answer.
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  • Malden -> Revere, under parts of Route 1 (by Rumney Marsh).
  • Revere St (Revere) -> Oak Island, by raising the Newburyport/Rockport Line tracks
  • Oak Island -> Beachmont, raising Oak Island St and Revere Beach
  • Beachmont -> Winthrop Highlands, by raising Winthrop Parkway
  • Winthrop Beach -> Cottage Hill, by raising parts of Winthrop Shore Drive
  • Cottage Hill -> Fort Dawes, raising parts of Yirrell Beach and Port Shirley Beach
  • Deer Island -> Long Island, via Deer Island Light
  • Long Island -> Moon Island, by raising and connecting parts of Moon Island Rd and Long Island Rd
  • Squantum -> North Quincy, raising parts of East Squantum Street, and Huskins Ave
The deepest water along this route is ~65 ft, between Deer Island Light and Long Island, but you'll encounter 40+ ft depth no matter where you build it (the inner harbor is 40 ft even between the North End and East Boston), and this protects much more than an inner harbor barrier would.

About a half-mile of 30+ ft depth, all between Deer Island Light and Long Island.

The rest of the route is either shallow water or land. It protects from storm surges, all of Boston, the Neponset River Valley (North Quincy, Milton), the Charles River Valley (Cambridge, Brookline, Watertown, Newton), the Mystic River Valley (Charlestown, Chelsea, Everett, Malden, Medford, Somerville, Arlington, Winchester), as well as Winthrop and most of Revere.
 
bigeman312 said:
  • Malden -> Revere, under parts of Route 1 (by Rumney Marsh).
  • Revere St (Revere) -> Oak Island, by raising the Newburyport/Rockport Line tracks
  • Oak Island -> Beachmont, raising Oak Island St and Revere Beach
  • Beachmont -> Winthrop Highlands, by raising Winthrop Parkway
  • Winthrop Beach -> Cottage Hill, by raising parts of Winthrop Shore Drive
  • Cottage Hill -> Fort Dawes, raising parts of Yirrell Beach and Port Shirley Beach
  • Deer Island -> Long Island, via Deer Island Light
  • Long Island -> Moon Island, by raising and connecting parts of Moon Island Rd and Long Island Rd
  • Squantum -> North Quincy, raising parts of East Squantum Street, and Huskins Ave
The deepest water along this route is ~65 ft, between Deer Island Light and Long Island, but you'll encounter 40+ ft depth no matter where you build it (the inner harbor is 40 ft even between the North End and East Boston), and this protects much more than an inner harbor barrier would.

About a half-mile of 30+ ft depth, all between Deer Island Light and Long Island.

The rest of the route is either shallow water or land. It protects from storm surges, all of Boston, the Neponset River Valley (North Quincy, Milton), the Charles River Valley (Cambridge, Brookline, Watertown, Newton), the Mystic River Valley (Charlestown, Chelsea, Everett, Malden, Medford, Somerville, Arlington, Winchester), as well as Winthrop and most of Revere.
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Are you reading my diary? Honestly, without raising the parkways and putting an overflow barrier on the Saugus River as well, everything else will flood by way of the Belle Isle Marsh to Chelsea Creek. No point to a Blue Line extension if it’s underwater. If it’s less than 3 feet above sea level, it’s going to spend 1/3 of the year flooded - including all planned or present development.
 
BeyondRevenue said:
Are you reading my diary? Honestly, without raising the parkways and putting an overflow barrier on the Saugus River as well, everything else will flood by way of the Belle Isle Marsh to Chelsea Creek. No point to a Blue Line extension if it’s underwater. If it’s less than 3 feet above sea level, it’s going to spend 1/3 of the year flooded - including all planned or present development.
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Great minds think alike.
 
HenryAlan said:
This strikes me as very similar to the argument that some birds are killed by windmills. Yes, some are. But such arguments ignore two key things: 1) there are viable mitigation strategies; 2) failing to adapt to climate change will be far more harmful than these chicken little concerns.
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Yes, everything in life is a trade-off. To get something, you have to give up something. There will be environmental impacts no matter what we do in a modern society.
 
Here's my envelope sketch. Feel free to tear into it or build your own.
Note the tide power generating sluice gates from George's Island to Toddy Rocks, and the President Roads low tide "doors" at +270 feet wide for the largest ships to pass.

Barrier.jpg



I'm factoring in for a bizarre future where we somehow still get a surfeit of goods via the widest monster "Suezmax" ships - clocking in with a 77.5 meter (254.2651 foot) beam...
And that's assuming the ports they launch from are still functioning.

Ship_measurements_comparison.svg.png
 
A few thoughts about the barrier and access, which I think were addressed in the UMass Boston study a few years ago.

Do we need a second access point, on Nantasket Roads, for example?

Is there a logical way, benefit to moving tanker and particularly LNG, docking facilities out of Chelsea Creek, to outside the harbor barrier? (Deep water docking port.)
 
JeffDowntown said:
Do we need a second access point, on Nantasket Roads, for example?

Is there a logical way, benefit to moving tanker and particularly LNG, docking facilities out of Chelsea Creek, to outside the harbor barrier? (Deep water docking port.)
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Nantasket Roads: There's always a way, but I think I'd yield to a cost/benefit study on that portion.
Deepwater docking facility: That makes sense. Pipe it in. If we never again dredged further in than Black Falcon pier it would be more ecologically sound/cheaper/smarter/better. I'd love to recapture Chelsea Creek and let it grow how it wanted.
I like where your head's at, Jeff!
 
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