Posted on December 16, 2024
PHILADELPHIA — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Philadelphia District shared an update regarding periodic nourishment of the Manasquan Inlet to Barnegat Inlet (Northern Ocean County) Coastal Storm Risk Management project in New Jersey.
In October 2024, USACE awarded a contract to Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company of Houston, Texas for $73.5 million to complete periodic nourishment of the project. The base contract calls for dredging and placing 2.1 million cubic yards of sand onto the beaches. Specific quantities and construction estimates include:
- Seaside Heights with taper into Seaside Park – 241,000 cubic yards of sand – work is estimated to take place in January and February
- Toms River (South) – 426,000 cubic yards of sand – work is estimated to take place in February/March
- Lavallette – 184,000 cubic yards of sand – work is estimated to take place in March
- Bay Head with taper into Point Pleasant Beach – 495,000 cubic yards of sand – work is estimated to take place in Spring
- Mantoloking – 392,000 cubic yards of sand work is estimated to take place in Spring
- Brick Township – 227,000 cubic yards of sand – work is estimated to take place in early Summer
- Toms River (North) – 135,000 cubic yards of sand – work is estimated to take place in Summer
Sand will be dredged from three separate approved borrow areas located offshore of the project area in the Atlantic Ocean. The sand is then pumped onto the beach, and graded into an engineered template, which is designed to reduce damages from coastal storm events.
Most of the base contract work involves widening the beach in eroded areas. In some areas, dunes, beach access paths/crossovers, and sand fencing will be repaired. Dune grass will be planted in areas that undergo repairs.
Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company currently plans to mobilize to the project area by January 2025. Construction is expected to take 6-7 months depending on weather and overall production. The project is a joint effort of the Army Corps’ Philadelphia District, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Ocean County and the municipalities. The beachfill project was initially constructed between 2017-2019.
