By Tara Fischer

Staff Writer

The Ocean Pines Association Board of Directors has approved the renovation of the bridge on the fourth fairway and over the channel at the community’s golf course.

OPA General Manager John Viola said the full price to redeck and re-fence the structure is $40,000. Fisher Marine Construction of Chincoteague, Virginia, will complete the work. The board approved the renovation at its Dec. 21 meeting.

The surface and the fencing on either side of the bridge, which Viola said “has to be 40 inches high,” are set to undergo upgrades. The height will be approximately the same as the existing structure.

According to the general manager, a preliminary study previously placed the project cost at around $150,000. However, a further inspection revealed that the bridge’s pilings were in good shape and did not need to be included in the renovation initiative. As such, the estimated price decreased to $40,000.

“The pilings… which is a big part of it, are very good, so the price isn’t as high as we thought,” Viola said. He  added that even if the pilings were to be updated, the project would have likely not used the entire $150,000.

The bridge renovation is set to begin this month. “The fencing is pretty bad,” Viola added. “It has to be done.”

Upgrades to the golf course continue, as the irrigation project has also seen progress. This initiative will replace a 50-year-old failing system over a four-year period.

The project’s first phase includes renovations to the pump station, the first and ninth holes, and the driving range. Viola said the new pumping station was installed at the pump house and that “everything went well.”

“[The irrigation upgrades] are well overdue,” golf course Superintendent Justine Hartshorne said earlier this year. “We do a lot of maintenance on it every year, and we’ve actually been seeing pinhole leaks forming in the pipes – they’re literally just falling apart and deteriorating. So, we’re long overdue for a replacement and we’ve more than exceeded the lifespan of the current system.”

The work also includes installing sprinkler heads and connecting the main pipes to the pumps.

“The irrigation system is probably the single most important tool that my department uses to maintain the golf facility, so it is very important we get everything done,” Hartshorne said.

Hartshorne added that the association is looking to do emergency replacements of sprinkler heads and main pipe lines for holes two and three while the contractor is still on site. The vendor will be back in the spring to ensure everything is working in time for the season.