Dozens of people watched Thursday as Troup County road department workers completed a record-setting boat ramp installation at Pyne Road Park.

The three-lane, 160-foot-long and 43-foot-wide concrete slab weighs 323 tons, and it took five bulldozers to push it into West Point Lake. It’s part of a $400,000 state grant project to attract fishing tournaments and boost the local economy.

“It wasn’t nearly as smooth as I’d hoped, but I’m absolutely 100 percent thrilled with the final outcome,” county engineer James Emery said after the push, which lasted three minutes and 25 seconds, and is believed to have set a world record as the largest boat ramp ever moved into a body of water.

“Nowhere in the world has seen a push of this size,” said grant administrator Ted Will, regional supervisor of the state Department of Natural Resources’ fisheries management section and statewide director of the boating access program.

The other three-lane section of the ramp was pushed into the water in May in one minute and 15 seconds, but it was smaller - 120 feet long and 234 tons. Next to the “megaramp” is a new L-shaped dock for 60 boats that also was financed with Gov. Sonny Perdue’s “Go Fish” grant. All that’s left is a parking lot, driveway and sidewalks, which is expected to take about 60 days.

With the road department doing all the work, “the county definitely got the most bang for its buck,” Will said.

“If you’d contracted it out, you’re talking about a million dollars at least,” he said. “This was essentially accomplished for $400,000. That’s a lot of infrastructure for that dollar amount.”

The longest section of the boat ramp can be used even at very low lake levels, such as during the drought of 2007, Will said.

The project should be “very popular with tournament fishermen,” he said. “That’s the whole idea.”

Emery had to be creative to get the job done. In an unprecedented move, he poured the concrete on corrugated metal and plastic, and put vegetable oil between the three layers of plastic to reduce friction and help the boat ramp slide.

“After it gets in the water, it gets the lubrication of the water and there’s buoyancy on the concrete,” Emery said. “It becomes half the weight it was on dry land.”

Emery and county civil engineer Kevin Kinnersley, the lead designer, put on face masks and dived into the water to inspect the ramp Thursday afternoon.

“It looks just perfect,” Emery said.

They removed all the chains, buckles and bolts, and got it ready for steel beams to be removed today.

“It just goes to show the ingenuity and expertise of our road department,” said County Manager Mike Dobbs. “I’m proud of the whole road and engineering department and especially James Emery.”

Joel Martin can be reached at jmartin@ lagrangenews.com or (706) 884-7311, Ext. 235.