For more than a decade, outdoorsmen have called for improvements to the Mount Vernon boat ramp and their wish has been granted.
The ramp was set to close Monday for renovations expected to take about three months, according to the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
Upgrades will include a new launching slab, new access pier, expanded parking area and a new tournament weigh-in pavilion. The project is being paid for by GoMesa (Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act) funds.
“This new design will ease the problems we have experienced at the Mount Vernon boat landing,” state Sen. Jack Williams said. “This is a very important project for a lot of people, not only in the Mount Vernon area. There are a lot of people in Mobile and Washington counties that would love to be able to return to this launch and I think we are on our way toward making that happen.”
The new ramp is drastically different, allowing boats to be launched south with the flow of the river instead of into a dugout area before entering the main river.
“One of the main problems is the area near the bottom of the ramp is full of debris that has been pushed into the area by the river,” Williams said. “This has not only prevented the boaters from using more than half of the ramp, it has caused a safety issue. The focus of the ADCNR officials was to reverse the launch so that the river pushes the debris away from the ramp and makes the facility more user friendly.”
A concrete ramp approximately 260 feet long and 30 feet wide will be capable of handling two boat launches at the same time. The lower portion of the ramp will be protected by a jetty that is 10 feet wide and 90 feet long.
Beside the boat ramp will be an aluminum floating pier that is 8 feet wide and 170 feet long and will provide a walkway from water level back to the top of the embankment and parking lot.
The parking area will hold more than 50 vehicles and boat trailers and a newly constructed pavilion will have sidewalks for the disabled and a parking area.
Williams announced an allocation of $2 million from the BP oil-spill settlement for the project in the fall of 2022.
“I really hate that it has taken this long to get something fixed that should have been done years ago but enough is enough,” Williams said. “The people at the conservation department understand that something had to be done and I think they finally understood that I wasn’t going to let it drop.”
Although Mount Vernon is in Sen. Greg Albritton’s district, Williams said he was committed to the project.
“There are a lot of people who live in my district and all over the county who use that landing,” Williams said. “I promised I would stay on top of it. Regardless of if it is in my district or not, I gave my word and I intend to keep it.”
Courtesy of Call News.
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