The historic fort that supports the Statue of Liberty and its pedestal will be fixed up with the help of a $22 million construction contract from the National Park Service.
The Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA), which provides funding for the project, will allow it to make improvements to drainage and safety. These changes will help keep the structure in good shape and make it easier for tourists to get to.
“The funds that we get from the Outstanding American Outdoors Act will enable us to expand upon the great work that has been done rebuilding the fort’s stone walls,” stated John Piltzecker, the superintendent of the Statue of Liberty National Monument and Ellis Island. This project will help make sure that Fort Wood, the famous star-shaped fort at the base of the Statue of Liberty, will still be standing after two hundred years of weathering in the middle of New York Harbor.
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Fort Wood is a star-shaped fort with eleven points that was constructed on Bedloe’s Island (today known as Liberty Island) between the years 1808 and 1811 as a part of the New York port defense system. In 1877, the fort’s function as a military installation was ceased in order to make way for the transport of the Statue of Liberty from France.
Between the years 1884 and 1886, the pedestal for the monument, which had been planned by the American architect Richard Morris Hunt, was constructed. In 1886, the statue was erected, and the United States Lighthouse Board and the War Department were responsible for its management. The administration of Liberty Island was handed to the National Park Service in the year 1933.
The GAOA project will guarantee the terreplein and the vertical surfaces of the fort’s continued safety for a long time. The terreplein is the name given to the horizontal framework that runs between the external walls of the fort and the base of the statue’s pedestal. The repair will center on addressing concerns related to degradation and drainage that have arisen as a result of age, the sea environment, and heavy use.
Waterproofing will be applied to the external levels of the fort in order to stop or prevent leaks and water infiltration. Also, a walking surface of 50,000 square feet will be resurfaced to improve drainage, the way it looks, and the safety and ease of access for visitors.
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1.6 million people went to the Statue of Liberty National Monument in 2021, and they are projected to have spent $101 million in the local gateway regions. These expenditures were responsible for the creation of a total of 1,110 jobs, the generation of $60.5 million in labor income, the addition of $98.3 million in value, and the production of $149 million in economic output in regional economies.
The General Authorities Authorization Act (GAOA), the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act (Bipartisan Infrastructure Law), and several other sources of building financing are all components of a concerted effort to solve the large deferred maintenance and repair backlog in national parks. The Legacy Restoration Fund of the GAOA allocates up to $1.3 billion annually for the next five years to certain advantages in nature reserves to ensure their preservation and provide opportunities for recreation, education, and enjoyment for visitors both now and in the future. This fund is supported by revenue from the development of energy resources.
Photo of Statue of Liberty courtesy Wikimedia user Elcobbola.
