Seaside Coaster to Soon be Removed

The Jet Star roller coaster, which has become a staple of the damage wreaked on the Jersey Shore by Superstorm Sandy, may soon be removed from the Atlantic Ocean, according to an NJ.com report.

Casino Pier, the owner of the amusement that was dumped in the Ocean by Sandy, signed a contract with Weeks Marine, a dredging and stevedoring company based out of Cranford, to remove the coaster in less than a month, the article said.

A date has yet to be set for the roller coaster’s removal, the article said, and Toby Wolf, spokesperson for Casino Pier, would not disclose the cost of the contract or estimated cost of the work.

The process of performing a hydrographic survey of the Jet Star below the ocean as well as dismantling and removing the coaster and three other rides that plunged into the ocean could take a few weeks, the story said. The project is dependent on weather.

Some hoped the coaster would remain in the ocean for sentimental value and as a tourist attraction, but officials have said it’s too dangerous.

In January, a 38-year-old man climbed the roller coaster.

Removing the coaster is the “safe thing, the prudent thing” to do, Seaside Heights Mayor Bill Akers told ABC.

Maria Mastoris of Casino Pier called the ride an “eyesore,” and said the removal will represent a major step in the transition from the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, ABC reported.