Cranford Rejects River Cleanup Bids Over Cost Concerns

CRANFORD, NJ — A project aimed at reducing flooding along the Rahway River is moving ahead in Cranford, but township officials are restarting the bidding process after rejecting all proposals due to unexpectedly high costs.

At the June 8 Township Committee meeting, officials rejected bids for the Rahway River Desilting Project, a long-planned effort to remove built-up sediment from the riverbed to help improve water flow and reduce flooding in nearby areas.

Desilting refers to the process of clearing soil, sand, and other material that gradually collects in a river over time and can restrict how water moves through it, especially during heavy rain.

The township has already studied priority areas along the river and secured the necessary permits from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.

Commissioner Brian Andrews said the decision to reject the bids does not change the township’s commitment to the work.

“We want to make crystal clear that we are committed to this project,” Andrews said. “We have been discussing for years how removing built-up sediment from the river is an important part of maintaining it and helping with flood mitigation.”

Andrews said the bids that came in were significantly higher than expected.

“We had an understanding of what this project would cost, and the bids came back at roughly twice what we anticipated,” he said. “It appears there was a misunderstanding by some contractors about the scope of the work we were asking for.”

He explained that river cleanup projects like this typically involve two main steps: removing sediment from the river and then managing the material afterward through testing, transport, or reuse. In this case, contractors included full disposal costs in their pricing, while the township had planned to handle much of that work separately.

Rather than sending all of the material off-site, officials said Cranford plans to reuse suitable soil locally where possible, including at township conservation areas.

“We have a conservation center that is interested in using this material,” Andrews said. “In many cases, the sediment is nutrient-rich and can be useful for a variety of environmental projects once it is properly tested.”

He said the township will still conduct required environmental testing before any material is reused.

With those details clarified, officials expect the next round of bids to come in lower and closer to original estimates. The township plans to put the project back out to bid following a future committee meeting.

“This is an important flood mitigation effort for the community,” Andrews said. “We want to move it forward, but we also need to make sure it is done at a responsible cost for taxpayers.”