Army Corps Beach Work Will Cause Some Disruptions For Summer

TOMS RIVER, NJ — Beachgoers will have to deal with some disruptions this summer — much to the dismay of local officials — as the Army Corps of Engineers continues its work on the dune construction and beach replenishment in northern Ocean County.

The Army Corps released an updated schedule on the project, which initially was scheduled to be completely last November. The current schedule has the work tentatively set to be completed this coming November, with Lavallette being the last piece.

The delays and impact on this summer's beach season have prompted an outcry from local officials. Toms River Councilwoman Maria Maruca had harsh criticism for the Army Corps on a lack of updates at the last council meeting, and late last week, Seaside Heights Mayor Anthony Vaz released a letter stressing the importance of not disrupting the summer beach season in Seaside Heights, which along with neighboring Seaside Park, continues to recover from the double whammy of Superstorm Sandy in October 2012 and the boardwalk fire that ravaged businesses in September 2013.

"I have been adamant that I will do whatever I can to help this project to completion, but the Borough Council and I remain firm that the project must not impact our beach and boardwalk operations this summer," Vaz wrote. "Our local economy simply cannot afford it."

Vaz said he was encouraged by indications the Army Corps was listening, and the current schedule, which was updated Feb. 21, indicates work in Seaside Heights is tentatively scheduled to start in late August.

Ortley Beach residents, meanwhile are scheduled for construction from late May to late August. The community, which was the hardest hit during Sandy, received initial fill in late May 2017 that extended the beach 150 feet. The work scheduled for this year is the second phase and part of the overall project. The Normandy Beach area is scheduled for early April through mid-June, according to the current Army Corps list.

The project has been beset by delays from the start. Plans to start work last year before summer hit were pushed back when the contractor, Weeks Marine, was delayed at a project down in the southern part of the United States.

Also disrupting the original schedule were a settlement reached in July between Jenkinson's and federal officials after Jenkinson's sued to block the dune work. That settlement added Point Pleasant Beach to the schedule. And in August, Judge Marlene Lynch Ford ruled against Bay Head homeowners who were fighting the project, paving the way for adding the borough to the project and meeting the original goal of a beach replenishment/dune project that stretches from the Manasquan Inlet to Island Beach State Park.

There also have been equipment issues. An update in December on the Mantoloking borough municipal website said a cable had snapped on a barge and ocean swells had been too strong for work to be done. Storms and strong waves led to delays as well.

There will be three barges working on the project, two of them working in tandem, the Army Corps said. The beach is closed in 1,000-foot sections at a time, officials have said.

You can see how the process works in video above from last spring's initial work in Ortley Beach.

The schedule as it standsnow is as follows. Toms River officials said the Army Corps has said it will update the schedule frequently:

• Point Pleasant Beach: Current estimate is early August to late August, and will be done after Bay Head.
• Bay Head: Current estimate is mid-June to early August, and will be done after Normandy Beach.
• Mantoloking Northern Area, from Station 207 (Approx. 2000 ft. north of Herbert St.) to the municipal boundary with Bay Head; current estimate is is late June to late August, and follows the construction in Brick.
• Mantoloking: Construction is ongoing in the base area, with completion estimated in mid-March
• Brick Township: Construction follows Mantoloking base area. Current estimate is mid-March to late June.
• Toms River North (Normandy Beach: Current estimate early April to mid-June
• Lavallette: Current estimate is late August to late November and follows Mantoloking northern area.
• Toms River South (Ortley Beach): Current estimate late May to late August
• Seaside Heights: Current estimate is late August to early October; follows Ortley Beach construction.
• Seaside Park: Current estimate is late August to early October and follows Point Pleasant Beach construction.

Photo by Karen Wall, Patch staff