BIDDEFORD — A piling at the Marblehead Boating Facility, which was reported broken this spring, was repaired earlier this week. With this repair, the state- operated boat launch is again open for full use.

Breakage of one of the three pilings at Marblehead boat launch, located off Pool Street, was reported in April, said George Power, the director of the Boating Facilities Division under the Bureau of Parks and Lands, which is part of the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry.

Ice moving down the river is believed to have caused the damage to the steel piling, he said.

Powell said the broken piling, which was the one furthest from the shore, and another piling, which was the second furthest from the shore and also made of steel, were both “badly corroded.” The steel piles that were replace were about 19 years old, said Powell.

Both were replaced on Monday and Tuesday, at a cost of approximately $25,000, paid for by the state, he said.

The remaining piling, made of wood, was in good shape, said Powell.

The pilings are used to hold floating dock pieces in place, which boaters use to launch their vessels.

According to Powell, there are usually three or four floats of dock at the boat launch; each float is eight feet wide and 20 feet long.

Before the broken piling was replaced, people were “able to use (the launch) most of the time,” he said, although there were fewer dock pieces, so “at low tide it was difficult to use without the last float.”

The boat launch wasn’t repaired until recently, said Powell, because of a number of factors relating to preparing a request for proposals, determining whether permits were necessary to conduct the work and other reasons.

Then, once the contract was awarded to Prock Marine Company of Rockland, there was another delay.

Hurricane Arthur had struck and the high waves didn’t allow the company’s barge to move safely up the Atlantic Ocean and into the Saco River until Saturday, when it finally arrived at Marblehead, said Powell. The barge had been in Kittery, where the company had recently completed a job.

The barge is equipped with a pile-driving rig, which was used to install the two new piles. The ones that were installed are of a larger diameter and thicker wall than the old pilings, and were also painted, all of which should lead to a longer life, he said.

Once the work was completed on Tuesday, the boat launch was fully operational, said Powell.

The Marblehead Boating Facility, with 84 parking spots, is the most active boat launch in the state, he said.

“It is the only state-owned boating facility we staff on the weekends,” said Powell. It is staffed for 10 hours a day on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays when the launch is open.

Chip Blanchard, the chairman of the Biddeford Harbor Commission, said since the facility is state-owned, the harbor commission doesn’t have jurisdiction over it and was not involved in the repairs.

He said he used to use the boat launch when he was younger.

“It’s a very good facility,” said Blanchard.

— Staff Writer Dina Mendros can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 324 or [email protected].