LBI Beach Replenishment Could Be Done By June 23

If all goes well, the Army Corps of Engineers beach replenishment project from Beach Haven to Holgate could be completed by June 23, according to The Sandpaper.

That’s good news to both Beach Haven Mayor Nancy Taggart and Long Beach Township Mayor Joseph Mancini. Both mayors objected to the Army Corps’ contractor’s decision back in January to move dredges to other areas of the country.

The Army Corps earlier deadline to complete the project on Long Beach Island was mid-March.

“It’s frustrating because we keep getting pushed back, but I feel optimistic that we will have a normal summer in Beach Haven and that by summer the project in Beach Haven should be done,” said Taggart said.

“We’re obviously disappointed that (Great Lakes) left” earlier this year, said Long Beach Township Mayor Joseph Mancini. “But at this stage of the game, whether they come back in March or April, as long as they’re complete by July 1, I’ll be very happy. We want it completed and completed correctly.”

The Army Corps awarded an $128 million contract to Great Lakes Dredge and Dock to finish the LBI Storm Damage Reduction Project, a joint effort of the Corps and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.

Beach replenishment began in early May 2015 in Ship Bottom, and a portion of Long Beach Township, before the contractor moved the dredges. The project is funded through the 2013 Disaster Relief Appropriations Act and is eligible for periodic nourishment.

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