Metro Council President David Bragdon and Councilor Rex Burkholder will be on hand for the official re-opening of the new and improved M. James Gleason Boat Ramp on Tuesday, April 27 at 9:30 a.m. Oregon State Marine Board chair Trey Carskadon will also take part in the ceremony. The Gleason ramp on the Columbia River, located at 4325 NE Marine Drive, is the second most popular public boating ramp in Oregon and is operated by Metro.
The ramp underwent renovations during the winter that improved the boat launching area and expanded the parking lot. The project involved replacing the gangway and adding floats to the ramp itself so more boaters could put in at the same time. Workers also installed 17 concrete panels to divert waves and reduce the amount of debris that accumulates near the launch. The panels are staggered to allow fish to pass through as they head up river.
Artwork on the panels suggests water and waves, and were created by Northwest artist Buster Simpson. The artwork was partially funded by Metro's One Percent for Art program, which sets aside one percent of construction costs for incorporating art into renovation and building projects.
This phase of the renovation cost $1.6 million and was funded by Metro, the Oregon State Marine Board and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, through federal Sport Fish Restoration funds. The fourth and final phase will begin in 2011 and include repaving the parking lot and adding bioswales to remove silt and pollution from surface runoff water.