Searsport plans to repair a section of its municipal pier that has been closed for safety reasons since 2023 and to expand the structure. Work could start as early as this fall on the project, according to Travis Otis, the town’s harbormaster.
The part of the wharf to be repaired is an offshoot often referred to as “the finger.” The section provides access to a float that two vessels can use at a time and also provides a wind and wave break for another float. The section dates back to the 1960s, Otis said.
“It’s certainly outlived its lifespan,” he said. “We got our use out of it, but it’s time for an update.”
The pier expansion will include a new floating structure and add dock space and more slips. The new floating section would curve around the finger and help protect it from waves while also allowing the town to rent slips, Otis said. The town will also upgrade lighting, according to documents posted on Searsport’s website.
The renovated pier will be the latest public infrastructure improvement in Searsport, which had its downtown section of Route 1 rebuilt in a two-year, $17.8 million project that was finished last year.
The town will hold a meeting in March to get public feedback on the project. The base mechanical plans for part of the project are already largely in place but the town wants residents’ input on how to improve the accessibility and function, Otis said.
“How can we ensure that what we’re doing today will stand the test of time and benefit our community?” he said.
The project will cost about $3.6 million, town manager James Gillway said. Searsport will use $2 million in congressional funding and $1.28 million in disaster assistance funds it received from the Federal Emergency Management Agency after the back-to-back storms in 2024 that caused severe damage up and down the coast. The town is pursuing other grants for the remainder of the funds, Gillway said.
Searsport has been working on a series of improvements to the pier since 1997, when a hurricane destroyed much of the structure. Repairing the finger would be considered the final stage in the wharf’s renovation, Gillway said.
The town is working with the engineering firm Woodard and Curran for the design and expects to put the project out to bid in the next three weeks.
The pier is used by lobster fishermen, commercial charters and pleasure boaters and is also a popular place to fish for squid and striped bass, Otis said.
“It’s a nice little focal feature of the town,” he said. “If we can get it back to 100 percent, that’s going to be even better.”
