Posted on November 29, 2023
Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) today announced the next phase of beach replenishment and dredging projects in Monmouth County. Pallone secured $26 million for maintenance dredging of the federal channels along the Shrewsbury and Navesink Rivers in a federal spending bill for Fiscal Year 2023 that President Biden signed into law late last year.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) will begin the second phase of the dredging project this week along the Shrewsbury and Navesink Rivers. The area to be dredged runs south along the Shrewsbury River from the Rumson-Sea Bright Bridge to the Branchport Avenue Bridge in Long Branch. It runs west along the Navesink River from Sea Bright to the Route 35 Bridge between Red Bank and the Navesink Section of Middletown Township. The dredged sand will then be used for beach replenishment and pumped onto the beach across from the Monmouth Beach Cultural Center.
Beach replenishment from offshore burrow pits is expected to begin around December 7 in two areas of Monmouth County. Sand will be pumped in Monmouth Beach south of the Monmouth Beach Bath and Tennis Club to the Monmouth Beach Bathing Pavilion. Sand will also be pumped in Long Branch from Cedar Avenue in the West End Section to Pavilion Avenue in the Elberon Section of the city.
The majority of the dredging project should be completed by the end of year. Beach replenishment should be completed by March 2024 at the latest. The dredging project is paid for by the federal government. Beach replenishment is paid 65% by the federal government and the other 35% is split 75% by the state and 25% by Monmouth County and the affected municipalities.
“I’m proud to announce the next phase of the Shrewsbury and Navesink dredging project today. I secured $26 million in federal funding for the project, because protecting our waterways and replenishing our beaches are both essential to bolster the resiliency of the Jersey Shore,” said Pallone. “I’m grateful for the Army Corps of Engineers’ commitment to this important project in our state. The dredging will make our rivers safer and more accessible, while beach replenishment will protect residents and help ensure our renowned beaches remain enjoyable for residents and tourists for years to come.”
Beach north of MB Bathing Pavilion
“Thank you to our federal officials for their continued support with local beach replenishment and the dredging projects in Monmouth County. These projects are very important to Long Branch and the surrounding Jersey Shore area,” said Long Branch Mayor John Pallone.
“Monmouth Beach is a town located between the Shrewsbury River and the Atlantic Ocean. As such, it is of vital importance to maintain our waterways and beach,” said Monmouth Beach Mayor David Stickle. “We thank Congressman Pallone for his continuing efforts to help protect our town from future storm damage with this and other critical projects. ”
“I’m very pleased to be announcing the next phase of the vital work to maintenance dredge the Shrewsbury and Navesink Rivers, which will also include beach replenishment of both Long Branch and Monmouth Beach,” said Colonel Alex Young, Commander, USACE, New York District. “This work will have multiple benefits, including maintenance dredging of a key federal navigation channel and coastal storm risk reduction for surrounding communities in both Long Branch and Monmouth Beach where we will use the sand to increase resiliency. I’d like to thank Rep. Pallone for his continued support of this project as well as our partners at New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, our local partners and the dedicated men and women from New York District, who’ve worked tirelessly on this project. We couldn’t have made this possible without a tremendous amount of support from the entire team top to bottom.”
