After facing years of setbacks and obstacles, the long-awaited dredging project at Shark River has been completed, Monmouth County’s Department of Public Information & Tourism just announced.
Equipment from the project, which included removing sediment and reopening the navigation channels in the Shark River, is now being removed.
“I’m pleased to report that with help of local and state partners, Shark River’s navigable channels have been restored to use. The project’s two phases have restored the full length of the navigable channels,” said Monmouth County Freeholder, Thomas A. Arnone.
“The restoration of state channels to allow safe passage for recreational and commercial traffic is critically important to maintaining our vibrant shore economy,” New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) Commissioner, Richard T. Hammer, said.
“I am proud of the efforts of the NJDOT Office of Maritime Resources, working with the county and local officials, to make the Shark River safer to navigate than it has been in decades.”
The dredging project, performed by Mobile Dredging and Pumping Co., hydraulically removed a significant amount of sediment from the Shark River making it possible for vessels to travel during low tide from the eastern side of the river in Neptune Township to the main channels on the western side in Neptune City and Belmar.
Approximately 9,000 feet of navigable channels have been restored, the department said in its release.
The sediment was hydraulically dredged and then piped via a secure welded pipeline to mechanical dewatering equipment located in the Belmar Marina parking lot.
The dewatered material was then trucked to the Monmouth County Reclamation Center for beneficial use as cover material on the active landfill.
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