By: Najla Alexander
Carteret officials announced that the Borough has awarded contracts for the next phases of both in-water and uplands construction of the forthcoming ferry terminal.
The Honorable Mayor Daniel J. Reiman stated the Howell-based George Harms Construction Co. was awarded $7,945.299 million for in-water construction work, while Old Bridge-based Black Rock Enterprises was awarded $6.414.165.15 million for uplands construction.
“This is truly an exciting time for Carteret,” Mayor Reiman said.
“Soon, the ferry will safely and efficiently deliver commuters from Carteret and the surrounding area every day to downtown Manhattan and the Financial District.”
According to design plans, the state Department of Transportation has approved the construction of a ferry terminal.
The terminal will include an in-water fixed pier, floating docks for passenger loading and unloading, connecting gangways, timber ramps, a wave screen, and steel piles.
Officials said that a timber staircase will connect the floating dock with one of three ferry boats, and two parallel aluminum gangways will connect the fixed pier to the floating dock.
The fixed pier will be 25 feet long by 16 feet wide, and the floating dock will be 40 feet long by 40 feet wide, with gangways measuring 65 feet long by 5 feet wide, officials stated.
According to officials, the upland phase will include a 700-space parking lot, lighting, utilities, and, to mitigate stormwater runoff, inlets, porous pavement, high-density polyethylene, and reinforced concrete pipes.
Construction is expected to begin in July and be completed by Spring 2025, authorities say.
“Once the waterside improvements are done, we will operate a ticket booth out of a kiosk and an app on a smart phone until the Carteret Intermodal Transportation Building is completed,” Mayor Reiman said.
Officials said funding came from grants from NJDOT, the U.S. Department of Environmental Protection, and the Federal Transit Authority.
The Reiman Administration has secured over $70 million in federal and state grants, including several competitive funds, such as the aforementioned 2022 FTA grant and a 2023 Congressional appropriation, officials stated.
Officials say the bulkhead for the ferry terminal was completed in October 2022. NJDOT Office of Maritime Resources completed the dredging in January 2023.