Marine Park bulkhead replacement set to begin

RED BANK — The Borough Council introduced a bond ordinance that, if passed, would increase the amount of borrowing associated with the Marine Park bulkhead replacement project by $195,500 at the June 21 meeting.

The Marine Park bulkhead repair and park upgrades project along the Navesink is budgeted for $3,361,170 million, with the state picking up 75 percent of the shared costs.

"Nearly half of Red Bank's obligation, amounting to $1,160,748.75, will be paid for by Monmouth County, bringing the borough's portion of the tab to $733,473.75," said state Department of Environmental Protection Engineer Brett Bailey.

The Marine Park bulkhead project calls for 1,050 linear feet of 24-foot steel bulkhead to replace the existing rotting timber bulk heading.

The project includes a new sidewalk, redecking of the pier, a new mooring system, floating docks and water and electric marina upgrades.

The entire bulkhead at the park's north edge will be replaced, from the Monmouth Boat Club to the Irwin Marine property, including the cove near the midpoint of the run.

Bailey said the contract consists of a 240-day period starting on or about July 6 with construction beginning at the end of July and ending in February 2010.

The waterfront parking lot will be fenced off to provide for public safety and adequate staging, Bailey said.

According to Bailey, the Bureau of Coastal Engineering's purpose is to administer

beach nourishment, shore protection and navigational dredging projects throughout the state.

"The Shore Protection Fund is dedicated to protecting existing development and infrastructure from storm surges, sea-level

rise and shoreline migration through dune creation and

maintenance, beach nourishment

projects, and construction and repair of shore protection structures," Bailey said.

The Shore Protection funding is divided three ways:

• Federal projects, with the NJDEP as the local sponsor for studies, storm damage reduction and shore protection and environmental restoration.

• State projects, with the municipalities as the local sponsor, consist of storm damage and shore protection.

• Also, the bureau partners with professional and technical services from Stevens Institute of Technology, Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, Division of Fish and Wildlife, and the New Jersey Geological Society.

The project will have continuous state inspection and structure monitoring will be provided with the contractor setting up vibration monitors adjacent to structures.

The contractor, J. Fletcher Creamer, & Son Inc., is headquartered in Hackensack with a branch office in Linden. The company has been around since 1925.

For more information, visit www.nj.gov/dep/shoreprotection.