GL Shipyard Restroom Barges for Park Service
Great Lakes Shipyard in Cleveland, Ohio built and delivered four public-use restroom barges for the National Park Service. The barges were delivered in Stillwater, Minn. near Minneapolis and will be used on the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway for boater and camper use. The 20 ft. long by 10 ft. wide barges, each having five restrooms, are able to be connected together in sets or floated independently for optimal utilization. Each set is equipped with an ADA compliant restroom, gangway and lift. The lift will be used to transport a disabled person from their boat to the barge to use the restroom and back to their boat. The shipyard incorporated renewable energy into this project by utilizing solar panels to power the ADA lift and mooring lights. These features will allow them to be utilized anywhere on the river without the need for shore power. The restroom barges were deployed for their first use this past Memorial Day weekend.