LEONARDTOWN, Md. — The St. Mary’s County Commissioners approved a $1.6 million contract award Tuesday for the construction of the Piney Point Lighthouse Museum Living Shoreline project, advancing a long-anticipated effort to protect the historic waterfront property from erosion.
Procurement Officer Brandon Hayden presented the request for authorization, confirming that four bids were received for the project. The county selected Coastal Design and Construction Inc. for a total contract amount of $1,655,000, contingent upon receipt and acceptance of all contract documents.
According to the St. Mary’s County Department of Public Works and Transportation, the company has completed several comparable shoreline protection projects across Maryland and received excellent performance evaluations for quality, responsiveness and adherence to contract specifications.
More than 90 percent of the project’s funding comes from federal and state sources, including a $1 million National Fish and Wildlife Foundation grant. The remaining funds are supported through the county’s Capital Improvement Program under Project MA-2102, which allocates approximately $2.1 million for design, construction and monitoring.
Project Manager Kimberly Connor of the Department of Public Works and Transportation said construction will begin soon and is expected to be complete by spring, with shoreline plantings scheduled for the following season.
“Construction, hopefully, will be completed by this spring, and then we’ll be doing the plantings, which have to be done in the spring,” Connor said. “Hopefully all goes well and we’ll be done before the busy time of the museum.”
The Piney Point Lighthouse Museum Shore Erosion project will install about 1,000 feet of living shoreline and breakwater structures along the Potomac River to stabilize the eroding coastline surrounding the county-owned Piney Point Lighthouse and Museum. Connor said the county will conduct a five-year monitoring program to assess shoreline changes and ensure the project does not negatively affect nearby private properties.
Commissioner Eric Colvin called the initiative “an important project” and noted its significance to both the community and the preservation of the historic site.
The commissioners unanimously approved the contract award.
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