Construction set to begin on first US Coast Guard Museum

NEW LONDON, Conn. (AP) — Construction is set to begin on a long-awaited national museum that will honor the U.S. Coast Guard. A special keel-laying ceremony, a term that’s usually used to celebrate construction of a cutter, was held on Friday at the museum’s riverfront site in New London, Connecticut. It comes after $50 million was included in the 2022 federal budget for the project, money that U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-Conn., said has “turbo-charged construction” of the 80,000 square foot structure. First proposed in 2001, the museum is expected to open sometime in 2024. The project became delayed over the years, due to funding and other issues.