Southend Beach Replenishment Project Begins in Ocean City in One Week

The long-anticipated south end beach replenishment project begins in one week.

Representatives with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company of Oak Brook, Illinois were on hand during Thursday night’s Ocean City Council meeting to discuss specifics of the project, which is still set to run from April 16 through July 15 in Ocean City.

Beach fill equipment is currently arriving in Ocean City, including the first pipe that was dropped on the 43rd Street beach. This pipe will pump north from 36th Street, then south the 49th Street.

A second pipe will be dropped at the 55th Street beach. This pipe will pump north to 49th Street, then south to 59th.

Although the project extends to 34th Street, representatives said sand is not needed for 34th through 36th streets, so they are not included in the plans.

Sand will be pumped using a “Hopper Dredge,” which representatives described as an “ocean going ship” which sucks the sand up into its haul and travels ashore, where it is then pumped out. There will be one boat used and it can pump 4,000 yards of sand per load. It is able to pump five or six loads a day, according to representatives.

The City will receive about 1.6 million cubic yards of sand to cover 2.6 miles of area for the project. Dunes will have an elevation of 12.8 feet with tops 25 feet wide.

There will be a total of 56 dune crossovers constructed as part of the project.

Collection baskets will be used to collect debris and munitions, and representatives gave officials an overview of the equipment that will be based on the beach.

There will be safety fencing on either end of the project, and boats will not be permitted to wander into the work area. Officials said the Coast Guard is aware of the timeline.

The replenishment includes Ocean City, Strathmere and Sea Isle City, and is known as the New Jersey Shore Protection, Great Egg Harbor Inlet to Townsends Inlet project.

The entire project is expected to be completed by September, with equipment being removed immediately upon conclusion.

The planting of dune grass is expected to take begin in November, with fertilization in April of next year.

Work on the north end is expected to begin in the fall, but Councilman Michael DeVlieger recommended beginning work in the spring.

“The problem with working in the fall is we have storms and then by the time the spring comes around, it doesn’t look like anything was done,” he said.

The project was initially approved in 2007. It received funding in 2013 as part of a disaster relief act following Superstorm Sandy.

Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company was the low bidder and won the project at $57.6 million.

The initial cost of the project is covered completely by federal funds, with periodic renourishment covered on a 50-50 split between the federal government and the state on a three-year cycle for 50 years. Ocean City will split 25 percent of all costs picked up by the state.

The projection for the total cost of the project was unknown, but was estimated to be between $6 million and $10 million.