Dredging underway at Manasquan Inlet to improve boating safety
State project will remove about 32,000 cubic yards of sand from the Wills Hole Thoroughfare and continue around the clock into next month.
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Work is underway to make it safer for boats traveling in and out of the Manasquan Inlet, with dredging expected to continue well into next month as more people return to the water.
Crews are clearing out a channel known as the Wills Hole Thoroughfare, bringing it to a depth of 13 to 14 feet below low-tide water levels. The sand and dredged material is being pumped through a pipe to Fisherman's Cove dog beach, where it will be used as beach fill.
The operation is being run through the New Jersey Department of Transportation at a cost of $1.35 million.
Dredging is continuing 24 hours a day, seven days a week until the project is complete. Buoy markers have been placed around the equipment and along the pipe running to Fisherman's Cove.
The project will remove about 32,000 cubic yards of sand from the channel.
The work comes after sand washed into the inlet two years ago, creating a new beach in the middle of the channel. That buildup threatened navigation through the inlet.
In addition to hundreds of private boaters, the channel is also used by major commercial fishing operations and charter boats that need it kept clear of sand.
The project is not expected to cause any closures of the channel or inlet, though the buoy markers will shift as the dredging equipment moves.
Experts contacted by News 12 said the dredging is a long time coming and a welcome sight.
