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A highly anticipated plan to dredge the Raritan River for the installment of a 24-slip floating dock has taken shape off the shores of Boyd Park near downtown New Brunswick.
The $4 million dredging project, awarded to Disch Construction of Summit, is part of a larger New Brunswick Landing Project expected to lure recreational boaters to the city's popular downtown area.
Ralf Albanir, the county park director in charge of the project, said 3,000 linear feet of the river will be dredged to at least 8 feet deep, along with piling installments, by the end of October.
He said between 10 and 11 contractors received documentation for the construction of the floating dock. The contract is not yet awarded.
Blueprints for the construction of the floating dock had to be reconfigured to make the project more attractive to contractors, because the previous design required pilings too large for drilling.
He said the dock construction project, scheduled to launch in April, is currently being re-advertised to contractors with a design for smaller pilings and should receive cost estimates in three weeks.
The state Department of Transportation said it would build a pedestrian foot bridge over Route 18, connecting Boyd Park at Richmond Street to the city so boaters can easily walk into the downtown area.
City spokesman Bill Bray said the project will provide an exciting alternate route into the city.
"We hope there is strong interest for boaters to dock here, come ashore, and enjoy our fine theaters, restaurants and night life," Bray said.
As a colonial town sprawling up along a major waterway, New Brunswick once served as a commercial gateway between the Delaware River, the Raritan River and the Raritan Canal, in which grain and other goods were shipped into the city as well as exported to other areas of the world, he said.
Bray said the Raritan was once the lifeblood of New Brunswick, earning it the nickname "Hub City." But the revolutionary advent of railroads later left the river defunct.
"It will be terrific to see [the Raritan's] resources used again," he said," and to see the river reconnect to the city and provide a way for people to enjoy it."
The 24-slip floating dock will be modest in size and will accommodate a boat launch for smaller watercraft, Bray said.
He said the project is also expected to attract more spectators to the University's crew team events.
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