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Construction crews expect to finish a boat ramp at Keizer Rapids Park by October.

They still have more excavation work to do in the river, and they must still set pre-cast planks and finish concrete work above the water line. They also need to pave the parking lot and complete landscaping and general clean-up tasks

When they are done, however, boaters will have 37 parking spots with room for 22 boats and trailers. They will also have a new restroom. Part of the park project includes installing the site’s first permanent restroom.

Bill Lawyer, Keizer’s public works director, said it won’t be anything fancy. It will just be a single-vault toilet with a latrine-like pit underneath. There will not be any running water. However, Lawyer said it will meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The park is located off Chemawa Road, about four miles east of Keizer near Interstate 5.

Lawyer said there will be a ceremony when the new dock opens, and park rules – such as operating hours – will be updated to reflect increased boating activity. Boaters will be able to use the new ramp when water levels are low.