Posted on June 25, 2019
SURF CITY — Flood relief could be coming to North Seventh Street in Surf City thanks, in part, to a $380,000 state Department of Transportation Trust Fund Grant earmarked for road surfacing.
Mary Madonna, borough clerk/administrator, said the borough was recently awarded a portion of the DOT’s 2019 trust fund grant for the 300 block of North Seventh Street, from Barnegat Avenue to the bay.
“It’s an expensive proposition,” she said of road work, noting sometimes grant monies cover the full cost of a project and other times projects require the borough use money of its own to get the work done.
The scope of the work includes drainage improvements and changes in elevation, she said.
In 2018, the borough received $375,000 from the DOT for Fifth and Sixth streets, according to Madonna. Work on those two roads could begin this year, she said.
Flooding is an issue across Long Beach Island. Last year, the Ocean County Road Department raised the crown of Long Beach Boulevard in parts of Ship Bottom and Long Beach Township to help alleviate flooding in one of the most flood-prone areas on the barrier island. In addition to raising the crown, Ship Bottom also undertook a project to replace a bulkhead at the end of West 28th Street and at the boat ramp. The county replaced a washed-out berm at the intersection of West 28th Street and Central Avenue in December.
Beach Haven approved a $3 million bond ordinance to reduce nuisance flooding. The money is earmarked for the installation of 6,000 feet of new storm drains, back-flow preventers to restrict bay water from flooding the streets, and three new pump stations. Officials believe the project will help with flooding along Bay Avenue and properties west of Bay Avenue. —G.G.S.
Source: coastalnewstoday.com
