The first phase of the south end beach replenishment project in Ocean City stopped a block shy of its original target, 36th Street, because that beach already is healthy enough, an Army Corps of Engineers representative said on Wednesday.
“There’s enough sand there to meet the template of the design, so they don’t need to go any further,” Army Corps spokesman Richard Pearsall said.
After surveying the beach earlier this spring, the Army Corps announced the project area where beaches would be rebuilt with 1.6 million cubic yards of new sand would extend from 36th Street to 59th Street.
But the Army Corps completed its first phase of work last week with rebuilt beaches extending only to 37th Street.
Pearsall did not specify what had changed since the Army Corps’ original survey.
At high tide on Friday (May 1) with a strong northeast wind blowing, the beach at 36th Street was noticeably narrower than the rebuilt beaches immediately to the south. But with calmer seas in recent days, the difference is less dramatic.
The healthy beaches and dune systems in the streets numbered in the 20s and 30s were vital to protecting property during Superstorm Sandy in October 2012.
Ocean City Business Administrator Jim Mallon could not be reached for comment on the change in plans.
Follow the progress of the beach project with OCNJ Daily’s updates.
