The Point Pleasant Canal will be getting a $3 million fence safety facelift.
After a series of meetings with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers over two years, the agency announced plans to repair and replace old safety fencing along the entire perimeter of the Point Pleasant Canal in the borough, U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (R-4) announced on June 11.
The canal first opened to navigation in 1926, and is a roughly two-mile-long, man-made channel that connects the Barnegat Bay and the Manasquan River. It forms a segment of the inland Intracoastal Waterway, a 3,000-mile inland waterway along the Atlantic Seaboard and Gulf of Mexico coast.
“I alerted the Army Corps to the deteriorating conditions of the fence after hearing from residents and elected officials in Point Pleasant,” Smith said in a press release. “Safety is everyone’s number one concern, so I reached out to the Army Corps to ask for its quickest possible response.”
Inspections were completed last year, and emergency repairs were made immediately for some of the worst parts of the canal’s fencing. A work plan was then developed for more extensive improvements.
During this process, the Army Corps continued to perform repairs to the areas of greatest need, with crews working as recently as last week. The larger renovation and replacement project will now be put out to bid, and the installation is expected to be done next summer.
“The canal is vital as it connects Monmouth and Ocean County boaters to open waters, but as locals know, it is infamous for its swift and dangerous currents. We need to ensure that families can fish along the waterway and enjoy this engineering marvel while staying safely on land,” Smith said.
Mayor Robert Sabosik said these work efforts are welcomed improvements for Point Pleasant Borough: “We have been trying to get the Army Corps to repair this fenceline for years now in its entirety and not just in a few pieces like they’ve done over the years…This fence-line isn’t just about aesthetics, it’s about the safety of our residents who fish and enjoy the scenic views the canal offers. Congressman Smith has been instrumental in the revitalization of the Point Pleasant Canal from getting funding to repair the actual bulkhead a few years ago and finishing the job with the fenceline,” the mayor said.
The fencing work comes as the Army Corps has just completed significant repairs to the entrance to the canal from the Manasquan River, making the canal walls more resilient and up to current design standards.
In 2022, a $3.2 million federal project repaired portions of the bulkhead that had suffered the most significant damage over the years. “I am grateful to our partners at the Army Corps of Engineers — our country’s master builders. Their work is second to none, and the Philadelphia District is always eager to help us help constituents,” Smith said.
