By MADDY VITALE
In just a couple of weeks, the north end beaches of Ocean City will be getting a lot more sand.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will pump more than one million cubic yards of new sand to widen the beaches and replace what was lost to coastal storms.
A total of 1.45 million cubic yards of sand will be deposited on the shoreline, according to Army Corps of Engineers Public Affairs Officer Steve Rochette.
Ocean City is one of three coastal communities, the others being Sea Isle City and Strathmere, included in the major beach renourishment project, at a cost of approximately $36.8 million.
“Dredging and beach fill operations are estimated to begin on June 26th in Sea Isle City and on June 27nd in north Ocean City,” Rochette said in an email on Wednesday.
He noted that the Army Corps will provide daily updates about beach access and closure information once dredging and beach fill operations begin. Updates will be available at
https://www.nap.usace.army.mil/Missions/Civil-Works/Ocean-City-Peck-Beach-Project/
The project, being performed by contractor Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company, is being funded primarily by the Army Corps of Engineers and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. The three towns will each put in a portion.
The north end project was initially expected to begin in May but was pushed back by the contractor to give it more time to get its dredge equipment ready, Rochette said in a prior interview.
Mayor Jay Gillian explained in his Mayor’s Message last week that the city had a pre-construction conference call on June 4 about the project.
“The work will bring more than 1.4 million cubic yards of new sand to some of the narrowest beaches on the island,” Gillian said.
A pipeline from the “borrow area” offshore will land on the beach near Morningside Road, and work will progress from there toward the southern terminus of the project area at 13th Street over the course of about six weeks.
When that is complete, work will proceed for another two weeks from Morningside to the northern terminus at Seaview Road. About two blocks of beach will be closed at any time as the project moves down the beach, Gillian explained.
An aerial view of a portion of Ocean City's coastline taken June 7, 2020, shows a narrowing of some beaches due to erosion. (Photo courtesy U.S. Army Corps of Engineers)
The mayor emphasized that the beach replenishment work may be a temporary inconvenience, but said it is an important project.
“I understand that this will be an inconvenience, but our beach replenishment program is funded largely by the federal Army Corps and the state Department of Environmental Protection, and we have to work with their schedule,” Gillian said.
He added, “As I'm sure you are all aware, these beaches desperately need sand and this work provides protection for all of our properties. As always, I want to thank our partners for this vital work.”
Following is the anticipated work schedule:
◾Work is estimated to take place between mid-June and be completed in mid-August. The plan is to pump from a pipe landing near Morningside Road south to 13th Street first and then pump from Morningside Road north to the Seaview Road groin.
◾Most of the work involves widening the beach. In Sea Isle City, the dune will be relocated (moved landward) from around 88th-93rd Streets. It is hoped this will reduce dune erosion in the future. The contract involves dredging, pumping, and placing approximately 1.45 million cubic yards of sand.
◾During construction, the contractor closes no more than 1,000 feet of beach at a time for beach fill operations; this allows continued access for beachgoers by detouring no more than several blocks from any given point. However, a second section of beach may need to be closed for dune relocation work if that work is necessary outside of the 1,000-foot section already closed for beach fill operations.
The entire project to widen the Cape May County coastline in three communities encompasses the north end project in Ocean City. A 1.5-mile section of beach from Corson’s Inlet State Park at 59th Street to 45th Street in Ocean City, which was replenished earlier this year, included 555,000 cubic yards of new sand.
Excavators and other heavy construction machinery are used in beach replenishment projects. (Photo courtesy of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers)
