Shrewsbury River dredging marks Monmouth post-Sandy progress

MONMOUTH BEACH - One more obstacle left by Superstorm Sandy for boaters and mariners is about to be rectified. Dredging of shoal sand in the Shrewsbury River to bring three channels back to normal depths is scheduled to begin in October.

New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) officials say it's the first part of a two-phase project in the river, concentrating on Monmouth Beach Channel, Rumson Country Club Y Channel, and Oceanport Creek Entry Channel.

They estimate the cost at $1,300,000, and anticipate clearing about 17,500 cubic yards of silt and sand.

The plan is to restore a depth of six feet to shoaled spots in the Monmouth Beach Channel, five feet in the Rumson Country Club Y Channel, and four feet to the Oceanport Creek Channel.

Work is scheduled to run 12 hours a day, Mondays through Fridays, with possibly some occasional weekend hours. Federal and state regulations require dredging to be completed by December 31.

The sand will dry in a fenced-off section of Monmouth Beach, between Park and Central Road. The rest of the beach remains open, officials added.

NJDOT officials said that sediment in the Shrewsbury basin stays where it is for now, until an agreement can be reached for a confined disposal facility.

Boaters should be aware that channel use will be restricted where dredges operate, and where the pipeline funneling the muck is situated. State Aids to Navgation (ATON) will be removed.

NJDOT urges anyone plying the waters to stay well clear of the pipelines, buoys, dredge gear and other equipment.