Traders Cove Marina, Brick, N.J. (Photo: Shorebeat)
The cost to dredge Traders Cove Marina in Brick Township has risen by more than $300,000 following an engineer’s assessment of the work that must be done to complete the project.
Last month, the township council awarded a contract to Mobile Dredging and Video Pipe, of Chester, Pa., for $2,456,395. The dredging project consists of two facets – one being the physical dredging of the boat slip area of Traders Cove Marina, and the other a marshland restoration project being funded by the state.
While Brick Township is responsible for the dredging project itself, the state’s partnership in restoring marshlands saves the township the cost of de-watering and disposing of the sand and silt that is dredged up. The marshland restoration is aimed at improving the overall health of sedge islands and other features in Barnegat Bay within the Edwin B. Forsythe Wildlife Refuge, which may have the ancillary benefit of helping to restore the presence of marine species and mitigate flood impacts.
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Recently, officials said, a survey of the dredge area underneath Traders Cove revealed that additional sediment was present in the “design prism” in the area to be dredged, which will result in a higher cost of completing the project. This week, the township council unanimously approved a change order for the dredging contract in the amount of $388,136 to account for the extra work involved in removing the additional sediment that was discovered.
A “dredge prism” is defined as the horizontal and vertical extent of dredging required for a project, according to Honeywell, which manufactures surveying equipment for such projects.
Traders Cove Marina, Dec. 4, 2018. (Photo: Daniel Nee)
Traders Cove Marina, Brick, N.J. (Photo: Shorebeat)
The dredging project is expected to continue through Dec. 31, 2024, the deadline by which such projects must be completed in order to comply with state environmental regulations aimed at protecting spawning winter flounder populations.
“Dredging Traders Cove has become necessary due to the shallow depths that have developed over time,” Mayor Lisa Crate said when she introduced the project last month. “This project will ensure that Traders Cove remains navigable and safe for residents and visitors that use the marina. The project has the added benefit of restoring and enhancing the ecosystem of the Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge.”
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