Posted on September 4, 2018
Completion of beach replenishment in Harvey Cedars is set to nearly coincide with the official end of summer, as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers estimates work in the borough will end in mid-September. On Monday, the beach closure area stretched from halfway between 72nd Street and Sussex Avenue to just south of 69th Street.
“We’re very thankful they’re here, and that we have the protection,” Harvey Cedars Mayor Jonathan Oldham said Monday. “However, we’re disappointed in the amount of time it has taken, and that it went through the summer.”
Operations were originally scheduled to end months earlier in the borough, but mechanical issues with the R.S. Weeks pipeline dredge, as well as weather and a contract option for added sand, pushed back the timeline.
“There was an unreasonable amount of inconvenience” for homeowners and beachgoers on 68th Street, 69th Street and Middesex Avenue, Oldham noted, as that was the area in which the R.S. Weeks broke down; in addition, the pipe landing for the project was on 68th Street.
Contractor Weeks Marine first proceeded south in the borough, then flipped to pump north to the border of Loveladies.
Weeks completed restoration in Surf City in early August, tapering off the work a few streets into northern Ship Bottom, and wrapped up another project in Brant Beach, from about 31st to 57th streets, at the end of May.
“Ideally, construction takes place outside of the summer season, but there is a limited number of dredges capable of completing this type of project,” the Army Corps notes on its website. “Additionally, weather, mechanical issues and progress on other projects has significantly impacted the schedule for work on Long Beach Island.”
In November 2016, another contractor, Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Co., concluded initial construction of the Island’s dune and berm system. The entire project area then became eligible for Flood Control and Coastal Emergencies funding, which led to the work in Harvey Cedars, Surf City and Brant Beach.
The entirety of the LBI project area will continue to be surveyed on a routine basis, in addition to undergoing evaluation following any significant storm events.
Source: The SandPaper.Net
