Bodie Island Lighthouse restoration to resume
BY NEEL KELLER | SENTINEL STAFF

The Bodie Island Lighthouse Restoration Project that began nearly two years ago is expected to resume within a matter of weeks, according to National Park Service Public Affairs Specialist Cyndy Holda.

Holda said that U.S. Senators Richard Burr and Kay Hagan and Rep. Walter Jones were instrumental in securing Congressional funding that will allow the second phase of the restoration project to resume in 2012.

"The contract was initially awarded in December 2009," said Holda. "The restoration work actually began in January 2010. The project was managed by the National Park Service and our prime contractor, United Builders Group, LLC from New Bern. The restoration contractor was Progressive Contracting Company, Inc. from Owings Mills, Maryland. The metal restoration work was handled by Enberg Mold and Tool from Jacksonville, Florida."

The lighthouse's renowned Fresnel lens was taken out before restoration work started and its 344 glass prisms removed, cleaned and refurbished, along with the central dioptric panels and lower and upper catadioptric panels. The very valuable lens was stored in a safe and secure location.

Scaffolding and a protective shroud were in place by late February, and then the $3.09 million project's restoration work began in earnest. The early work included documentation of existing windows that would require repair, work with the negative air contractor to put a system in place while the work was being done, making and molding metal patterns, constructing a temporary shed structure at the Oil House, placing interior scaffolding, installing temporary interior floor protection, taking mortar samples to be analyzed, submitting metal sample patterns, beginning interior wooden door repairs, installing a security fence around the construction site, removing paint on the interior masonry and all hazardous materials, pressure washing the interior of the lighthouse, applying the first primer coat to stair treads and beginning repainting of the interior, a second primer coat on interior metal work, interior brick masonry repainting and stitch repairs.

In August 2010, the project hit an unexpected snag. An NPS press release reported that "while removing layers of paint and corrosion, the NPS contractor discovered significant structural integrity issues associated with the support structures under the balcony."

Holda explained, "All but one of the ornate struts that support the balcony were found to have significant structural cracks. We brought in an NPS engineer to assess the cracks and determined that they would have to be addressed, or we would not be able to open the lighthouse up again for public climbing."

NPS Superintendent Mike Murray later announced that the project would be ending "due to lack of funding to complete the project" and that workers would "begin demobilization of the interior and exterior scaffolding the week of March 7, 2011." The NPS press release added that the park service would place the project in its Fiscal Year 2012 Line Item Construction funding request.

Another unexpected expense entered the picture when the entire Bodie Island complex suffered substantial flooding during Hurricane Irene. The wooden floors in the keeper's quarters buckled and had to be completely stripped and replaced with new hardwood floors. The Eastern National Bookstore had to be emptied of all its books and have its flooring replaced as well.

This new repair work was completed quickly with the lighthouse's own funds. But the restoration project was still in a state of limbo.

"We knew that the restoration work would only be able to resume when we obtained the additional funding," Holda said. "So we asked for help from our Congressional representatives. Recently, with the support of Senator Burr, Senator Hagan and Congressman Jones, the funding request was approved and Congress appropriated the funds we needed to start phase two of the project," said Holda.

While not providing details on the amount of the appropriation, Holda confirmed that it was for an amount of more than $1 million. "Any amount over $1 million needs an appropriation, and we needed that for this work," she said.

NPS officials have estimated the cost for the required repair and renovation work for the top of the lighthouse to be approximately $1.6 million.

"We are currently in negotiations with contractors and are close to finalizing the new contract," Holda said. "Early in the new year, we expect to move forward with the second phase."

Expressing her enthusiasm over the project's new funding, Holda added, "We will now be able to get the support beams fixed and the lighthouse will again be open for climbing. We have no time-line on this yet. First we have to have the contract in place and complete the work. But when the project is finished, the lighthouse will look brand new."

In the meanwhile, the Bodie Island Visitor Center and Eastern National bookstore, which are located at the base of the lighthouse, remain open year round from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Also open year round is the nature trail boardwalk, located just north of the lighthouse.