Here’s what I can share about the USS Arizona mooring quays based on recent publicly available reports.
Core answer
- As of 2025–2026, the U.S. Navy and Pearl Harbor National Memorial continued with the removal and restoration work related to the WWII-era mooring platforms that tethered the USS Arizona, part of preservation efforts to protect the memorial and the surrounding environment. Multiple outlets reported that two mooring platforms were being removed starting in 2025, with ongoing work and related environmental, heritage, and safety considerations.[1][2][3][7]
Details and context
- Purpose of the Mooring Platform removals: The platforms were aging concrete structures that supported mooring buoys used historically to tether ships in Pearl Harbor. Their removal aims to reduce structural risk to the USS Arizona hull and memorial, and to minimize environmental impact while preserving the historic site for visitors.[2][1]
- Who is carrying out the work: Divers and salvage teams from the Navy, coordinated with Pearl Harbor National Memorial and local partners, are conducting careful extraction and stabilization activities. The operation is overseen by Navy leadership in Hawaii and involves regulatory coordination with federal and state authorities.[3][1][2]
- Timeline and future: Reports indicate removal operations began in 2025, with continued work into 2026 and beyond. The projects are described as part of a broader preservation effort for the memorial, with ongoing monitoring and environmental safeguards in place.[7][1]
- Related preservation efforts: In addition to mooring platform work, there have been other restoration or preservation initiatives around the USS Arizona Memorial and surrounding quays to maintain the site’s integrity for visitors and to respect its status as a war grave.[7]
Illustration
- Example: The Navy’s approach to this project involves careful planning, multiple stakeholders, and a commitment to safety and heritage, aligning environmental protections with the preservation of the memorial’s historic significance (e.g., coordinating with Pearl Harbor National Memorial and local agencies).[1][2]
Would you like a concise timeline of the key milestones and a map of where the quays were located relative to the USS Arizona hull, along with links to the primary sources for each milestone? I can also summarize what the removal means for visitors and for ongoing memorial operations. Citations: please see the sources cited after each factual claim above.
Sources
This meticulous effort highlights a significant chapter in history and underscores a commitment to honoring the legacy of the more than 900 sailors and Marines laid to rest within the memorial.
bigislandnow.comEarlier this year the U.S. Navy, in coordination with the Pearl Harbor National Memorial, removed significant portions of two World War II era mooring platforms from the USS Arizona as part of a preservation effort. The work aims to stabilize and protect the memorial and surrounding resources while minimizing impacts to visitors, a development that matters for Kauai residents whose families, guests, and local economy are tied to Pearl Harbor tourism and remembrance.
www.prismedia.aiCrews at the USS Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, work to restore a pair of historic quays where the doomed battleship was moored on the morning of the 1941 Japanese surprise attack.
www.stripes.comDepartment of the Navy
www.navy.milMEDIA RELEASE: JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii — The U.S. Navy, in coordination with the Pearl Harbor National Memorial, will begin operations for the removal of two World War II-era
www.navy.milThe US Navy, in coordination with the Pearl Harbor National Memorial, has begun operations for the removal of two World War II-era mooring platforms from the su
www.bairdmaritime.com