City Hall is getting a new ramp after the previous one fell into disrepair. Construction is currently ongoing to replace the 2011 structure with stronger steel, thicker cement, heating elements, and a high-tech coating. Brad Wainwright, Street Supervisor for Deer Park, updated the city council on the overhaul of the ramp, and in correspondence, explained in greater detail the specifics of the repairs.

When a two foot chunk of concrete ramp deteriorated into a gaping hole, the culprit was found to be deicing chemicals eating away at the mass and its underlying steel. The ramp was immediately closed and soon torn down. Brad said, “We are doing everything we can to make the ramp as safe as possible and to last as long as we can.”  Deer Park company Northwest Steel Fab, Inc. was called in to begin the rebuild. The frame is expected to be completed by mid-February, and weather permitting, concrete can be poured for the ramp to have it finished by the end of March. 

The design of the ramp will be the same. However, the materials used and other specifications will be improved. The construction will have thicker corrugated steel and an additional two inches of concrete. The concrete itself will be given additives to help repel water and harmful chemicals, and the exterior will be additionally coated with a sealer to stop deicers from penetrating the surface. The coating to be used will be the same type that is used to protect material surfaces in harsh ocean environments. An electrical mesh heating element will be added into the ramp, turned on by a sensor when the temperature falls below 38 degrees. The heater will greatly reduce the need to use deicers.

It is expected these improvements in materials and construction will prolong the life of the new ramp for many years to come.