New Bedford Harbor Hurricane Barrier

 engineering, hurricane, barrage, flood protection

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New Bedford enjoys its reputation as a "safe harbor" thanks to the Hurricane Barrier. The stone and steel barrier extends across the mouth of New Bedford harbor to the Fairhaven side near Fort Phoenix.

It is 9,100 feet long and twenty feet above median sea level. The harbor section has two 440-ton gates in the center that can be closed during strong tides or storms to protect the inner harbor. The western section protects the city from tidal surges in Clark's Cove.

The top of the barrier provides a walkway for recreational activites. Residents and visitors can watch the coming and going of commercial vessels and pleasure boats, or enjoy spectacular views of the harbor, cityscapes, and Buzzards Bay.

Built in the 1960's by the Army Corps of Engineers, the Hurricane Barrier is the largest stone structure on the East Coast.

www.ci.new-bedford.ma.us/DPW/WASTEWAT/hurricane.htm