Kayakers next year will launch into the Cooper River from Admiral Wilson Boulevard in Pennsauken.

A new kayak launch at Gateway Park, in Pennsauken near the Camden border, next spring will be accessible from a parking lot on eastbound Admiral Wilson Boulevard, according to Camden County, which was scheduled to ceremonially break ground on the project on Friday.

A Camden Water Trail will direct kayakers and other park visitors from the boulevard through the park and over a bridge to the dock.

"These enhancements will provide increased access to Cooper River and the Delaware River back channels for Camden County residents," Commissioner Jeffrey Nash said in a statement. He is liaison to the Camden County Parks Department.

The project cost $930,000, and the New Jersey Conservation Foundation contributed $800,000, according to the county.

"Plans include a new ADA-accessible dock and floating platform to provide an access point for self-propelled vessels up to 25 feet long, as well as parking enhancements, new walking paths, picnic areas, a pollinator garden, and interpretative signage," according to a county announcement. "An elevated boardwalk will also be constructed to protect the surrounding environment by reducing soil disturbance, minimizing the environmental impact of the project."

Gateway Park replaced a string of rundown buildings that were bars and motels attracting prostitution and other illicit activities.

The park "started as a beautification project in 1999, when then-Gov. Christine Todd Whitman suggested improving the appearance of the 'gateway' between New Jersey and Pennsylvania in advance of the 2000 Republican National Convention in Philadelphia," the Conservation Foundation's website notes.

Decrepit buildings along Admiral Wilson Boulevard were bought and demolished by the Delaware River Port Authority, the history notes. 

"Although the Port Authority planted grass and built an asphalt walkway, the property was not opened to the public due to soil contamination from old leaking gas tanks. After years of planning and an environmental cleanup, the Delaware River Port Authority transferred ownership of the property to the Camden County Municipal Utilities Authority (CCMUA)," according to the history.

The grand opening of the 25-acre park was held in March 2019.