USS Arizona Memorial Reopening

USS Arizona Memorial Reopening

The USS Arizona Memorial will reopen Sunday, Sept. 1. The National Park Service, in coordination with the United States Navy and contractors, completed the final phase of construction this week. The reopening of the memorial will provide for a safe and enhanced visit to Pearl Harbor, allowing visitors to more closely understand the story and pay their respects to the men aboard the Arizona.

“The National Park Service is excited to welcome our visitors back to the USS Arizona Memorial very soon,” said Pearl Harbor National Memorial Acting Superintendent Steve Mietz. “It is a great honor to share the stories of the men of the USS Arizona, and all of those who served, suffered and sacrificed on Oahu on December 7, 1941. That is the cornerstone of our mission here, and restoration of public access to this iconic place is critical as we continue to tell their stories and honor their memory,” Mietz said.

The $2.1 million project improves the dock’s anchoring system and addresses a critical infrastructure need at the park. Since May 2018, the NPS has completed multiple phases of the project to include analysis, contracting, design, environmental compliance, mobilization, unexploded ordnance screening, resource preservation and project execution. All of this was facilitated with much assistance from the NPS’s dedicated partners in the United States Navy and Department of Defense.

Until the Memorial reopens, visitors can still visit the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center’s two free museums and participate in ticketed programs that include a 25-minute feature film and a narrated harbor tour of Battleship Row on US Navy vessels. Information on programs and how to obtain tickets can be found at: https://www.nps.gov/pearlharbor/faqs.htm.

Note to editors: Public domain photos available on Flickr.

 

August 2019 Update:

 

The requested video is no longer available.

 

July 2019 Update:
Last week, the contractor completed the installation of the Seaflex mooring bands to the helical anchors and floating dock.

The National Park Service completed a dive inspection of this recent installation and identified minor issues, which will be corrected. Other improvements include initiation of repairs to the damaged bridge/brow supports on the memorial, and replacement of two cracked terrazzo floor panels on the memorial.

During the remainder of July, tensioning of the Seaflex mooring bands to optimal levels should be completed. Additionally, ten terrazzo floor panels on the memorial will be replaced.

 

The requested video is no longer available.

 

June 2019 Update:
The repair and reopening of the USS Arizona Memorial dock remain a very high priority for the National Park Service (NPS) and the Department of the Interior. On June 14, Superintendent Steve Mietz from Redwood National and State Parks began an assignment as acting Superintendent at Pearl Harbor National Memorial. Jacqueline Ashwell will return as Superintendent of the Memorial in the fall after she completes Senior Executive Service training.

The NPS team has worked closely with the project contractor, Silver Mountain Construction LLC, to keep this project on schedule despite several challenges. The survey for unexploded ordnance discovered anomalies and artifacts at multiple anchor sites. New anchor sites were identified for sites with anomalies. Unexploded ordnance clearances were completed and anchors were installed at the new locations. Several anchors did not meet torque specifications when drilled to the depth specified in the contract, but contractors were authorized to extend the depth to meet torque specifications. Drilling deeper solved the problem.

As a result of this collaborative and flexible teamwork, nine anchors were installed by June 21 that meet torque specifications. Pull tests are planned for the week of June 24.

The access ramp for the dock was successfully removed with generous in-kind crane assistance from the US Navy. It has been moved off-site and is being stored along with the brow (bridge) that was removed after the initial damage was detected.

April 2019 Update:
The National Park Service awarded the contract to repair the anchoring system for the USS Arizona Memorial dock in March. The contractor, Silver Mountain Construction LLC, has provided all required information and been issued the Notice to Proceed.

The NPS has approved all requisite associated pre-construction plans. These plans have been forwarded to regulatory agencies where applicable, such as the State of Hawaii and the US Navy. Other pre-construction activities are ongoing.

The next major milestone is a pre-construction meeting with the NPS, US Navy, the contractor, and applicable subcontractors. On-the-ground construction is projected to begin in late May. Updates to follow.

 

Why is the USS Arizona Memorial closed?
Visitor access to the USS Arizona Memorial was suspended due to movement of the loading dock and corresponding movement of the loading ramp to the memorial, which poses a safety concern for our visitors. While repairs are made, the USS Arizona Memorial will remain closed.

When will it reopen?
The National Park Service has awarded the contract for repair of the anchoring system for the USS Arizona Memorial dock. Repairs are projected to be complete by fall 2019 and in time for the next December 7 remembrance, provided no issues arise during the construction period. We appreciate the public's continued patience as we work as fast as possible to fix the dock at the USS Arizona Memorial.

What can I do at Pearl Harbor while the memorial is inaccessible?
The USS Arizona Memorial program is still running. Visitors still need free walk-in or reserve tickets for the program, which starts as usual with a 25-minute documentary on the Pearl Harbor attack. Following the documentary, visitors are taken on a 15-minute narrated harbor tour of Battleship Row and the area around the USS Arizona Memorial. Due to the closure, no one is able to disembark on the memorial at this time. From the boats, visitors are able to see some of the wreck of USS Arizona and take photographs of the memorial. Tickets for the USS Arizona Memorial program are available on a walk-in, same-day, first-come-first-served basis at the visitor center ticket desk, or online at www.recreation.gov.

The Pearl Harbor Visitor Center, museums, and bookstore are open as usual from 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM, seven days a week. Our partner sites – the Battleship Missouri Memorial, the USS Bowfin Submarine Museum and Park, and the Pacific Aviation Museum Pearl Harbor – are also open as usual.

Why is it taking so long to fix the dock?
Since May 2018, the NPS and its partners, including the Navy and Department of Defense, dedicated significant resources to investigating the cause of the damage, designing the needed repairs, and streamlining the federal contracting process to being work as fast as possible.

Why can't the NPS install a temporary dock?
The NPS and Navy evaluated several temporary alternatives, but all were ruled out due to the increased safety risk to visitors and the potential to damage the memorial.

How much is the repair going to cost?
2.1 million awarded 28 March 2019.

Who can I contact for more information?
Chief of Interpretation and Education Jay Blount
808-422-3315
[e-mail]

Further details of the damage:
The USS Arizona Memorial is closed to visitation due to a failure of the anchoring system for its dock. The anchor system failure occurred due to natural variables related to sediment in Pearl Harbor. In May of 2018, staff noticed minor damage to the concrete on the USS Arizona Memorial, directly beneath the public entrance. After initial repairs were made, the damage reappeared. Closer inspection of the dock and its attaching structures revealed that the root cause of the damage stemmed from a much larger issue: failure of the dock's anchoring system was placing excessive stress on the memorial. Standard anchoring techniques are not appropriate in this sensitive area, which is soft, sediment-heavy, and holds the potential for unexploded ordnance. Additionally, NPS is committed to protecting archeology related to the December 7, 1941, attack, and reducing all possible disturbance to the wreck of the USS Arizona, the final resting place of over 900 men.