The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Philadelphia District awarded a contract Dec. 5 to the Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company for $128 million to complete the initial construction of the Long Beach Island Coastal Storm Damage Reduction project in New Jersey. The project is a joint effort of the Army Corps’ Philadelphia District and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.
The work will involve dredging approximately eight million cubic yards of sand from an approved borrow area approximately three miles offshore of Long Beach Island. The sand will be pumped through a series of pipes onto the beaches within the municipalities of Long Beach Township, Ship Bottom, Beach Haven and a small section of Surf City over a length of 12.7 miles. The sand is then built into a dune and berm system designed to reduce potential damages to infrastructure, businesses, and homes that can occur from coastal storm events. In addition, the contract includes the construction of dune crossovers, placement of sand fencing, and dune grass plantings.
The Long Beach Island Coastal Storm Damage Reduction project was only partially completed when Hurricane Sandy hit the New Jersey shore. The Army Corps completed the initial construction of the project at Surf City (3rd-22nd street) in 2006; Harvey Cedars in 2010; and Brant Beach (31st and 57th Streets) in Long Beach Township in 2012. The Army Corps repaired previously constructed beaches in Surf City and Harvey Cedars in 2011, and fully restored the previously constructed beaches within the three communities after Hurricane Sandy in 2013. The restoration and repair work was funded 100 percent through the Army Corps’ Flood Control and Coastal Emergencies program. The current contract will complete the initial construction of the dune and berm system on Long Beach Island. The tentative construction schedule calls for work to begin in mid-August.
Construction is funded entirely by the federal government through the 2013 Disaster Relief Appropriations Act (PL113-2), commonly known as the Hurricane Sandy Relief Bill. Following the completion of initial construction, the project is eligible for continued periodic nourishment.
Release no. 14-028