It's Smooth Sailing with Refreshed Boat Launch
Merritt Point Park Boat Ramp
Editor: Allison Braswell 

Merritt Point Park in Dundalk, Maryland, is a local favorite for outdoor recreation. In addition to its charming horseshoe pits and illuminated ball diamonds, this 36.3-acre waterfront park features a dual-lane boat launch that invites boaters and paddlers out onto Bullneck Creek, which flows into Chesapeake Bay. The Old Line State is known for offering some of the best opportunities for fishing on the east coast, so many of the park's boaters through the years have taken advantage of the ramp to go out on fishing trips. The issue is... this ramp has seen better days. 

Constant wear and tear, poor construction planning, and sand erosion are all causes for how boat launch ramps begin to fail. If the end of the ramp is not dug into the sand deep enough, prop wash from vessels suddenly accelerating will form a hole and a sharp drop-off in that area. Drive-on trailers used for launching and receiving vessels can get wheels caught in the drop-off, which can damage the trailer and worsen the shape of the ramp. Due to these potential safety issues, Baltimore County Government decided to invest in a more secure transit facility for fishing and scenic excursions on Bullneck Creek.  The Merritt Point Park boat ramp and soft launch project is one of the first steps in a comprehensive park renovation and enhancement project. Over the next two years, a variety of park renovations, including walking paths, pavilions and playground renovations are planned for the park, as part of the County's efforts to revitalize its older, established community and neighborhood parks.

The $1 million project, secured through a partnership with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, was supported by nearly $900,000 in State and Federal waterways and boating grants, and is the County's first major project of its kind in more than 15 years. For the first phase of this undertaking, Specialty Underwater Services and CYR's Marine was contracted to build a replacement boat launch. First, they used an ICE® I-8V2 Diesel Impact Hammer to install timber pile, 10" (in) in diameter and 30' (ft) in length, for the new ramp. As the most compact member of International Construction Equipment, Inc.'s family of diesel hammers, the size of the I-8V2 complemented this smaller-scale job and saved the contractor both money and working space. Next, an ICE® 416L Vibratory Driver/Extractor was used to drive fiberglass sheets on the sides of the ramp, partially above sea level with the bottom halves underwater. These will serve as wave attenuators, which reduce the impact of oncoming waves by naturally shrinking their size; as the waves pass over, under and through them, they become smaller and less impactful, sometimes disappearing altogether.

Excellent work, Specialty Underwater and CYR's Marine! This much needed upgrade not only allows more families to make memories out on the water, but it will also have a dramatic influence on job creation and economic growth within the community. International Construction Equipment, Inc. is grateful for your continued business and we look forward to watching the progress on this major modernization.

Learn more about the ICE® I-8V2 and the ICE® 416L. 

Media Contact-    
Pollyanna Cunningham, MA, MBA    
Vice President Marketing, Brand and Media Relations  

Vice President IT and IT Comm 
ICE® - International Construction Equipment, Inc    
Office - 704-821-8200    
Email - marketing@iceusa.com