After one test pump on Monday involving mostly water, the hopper dredge that is powering Ocean City’s south end beach replenishment project returned to Norfolk for more repairs.
The engine on the Liberty Island died on May 30 and the ship had been in port for seven weeks as it was replaced. It returned to Ocean City on Monday (July 20) for what was expected to be the restart of work.
But the test showed some sort of problem with the repair or the engine. Richard Pearsall, spokesman for the Army Corps of Engineers Philadelphia District, said Tuesday that the dredge experienced a mechanical issue with a reduction gearbox. Mechanics in Norfolk will need to evaluate the problem before the Army Corps can provide an estimate on when the repair can be completed and work can resume, Pearsall said.
Work crews on the beach had run pipeline down to 51st Street and set up filter cages in anticipation of the project resuming, but on Tuesday morning, they appear to be pulling equipment back and consolidating it at 52nd Street.
Work to rebuild eroded beaches between 37th and 59th streets in Ocean City began April 20 and was expected to be complete by now. But an engine failure on the Liberty Island brought the project to a standstill on May 30.
If work had resumed Monday, the project would have been on target to be complete by Sept. 9.
The delay pushes the restart of the project deeper into the heart of the summer vacation season in the resort.
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The hopper dredge is a ship that pumps sand into its hold from an offshore borrow area, then travels closer to Ocean City to hook up with a pipeline that feeds the new sand onto the beach.
Crews from the Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company of Oak Brook, Illinois have completed work between 37th Street and 47th Street. The current phase of the project started at 55th Street and was moving toward 47th Street when the dredge died at 52nd Street.
The final phase of the project will start at 55th Street and move southward to 59th Street.
When it’s done, Ocean City will have received approximately 1.6 million cubic yards of sand on approximately 2.5 miles of beach from 37th Street to 59thStreet. The $57 million project includes Strathmere and Sea Isle City, and is funded entirely by the federal government.
