After eight years in the works, construction is set to get under way for a new whitewater park in Somerset County.

The park will be the first of its kind in the state and will be a place to kayak, swim and go tubing down the Stoney Creek River. The 300-yard park will be free to the public.

About 6,500 tons of rocks will be used for the project. The rocks were donated to the park by the southern Alleghenies landfill.

Crews estimated they will need to make 317 trips to the park over the next 12 days to get ready for the construction, which is set to begin on Aug. 7.

The park is expected to cost about $550,000 to build and should be complete by this fall.