Pallone Announces Contract Awarded for Asbury Park to Avon-by-the-Sea Beach Replenishment Project

Long Branch, NJ – Today, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) announced that the contract has been awarded and work will begin in December on an $18.3 million beach replenishment project from Asbury Park to Avon-by-the-Sea. This Army Corps of Engineers project, which is funded at full federal expense, will restore beaches in Asbury Park, Ocean Grove, Bradley Beach, and Avon-By-The-Sea, to conditions better than prior to Sandy and was made possible by the Sandy aid package passed by Congress. The contractor, Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company, will use over one million cubic yards of sand for the project and is estimated to be completed in early May of 2014.

“I’m pleased that the Army Corps is moving forward with this important investment that will help to protect homes and businesses from future flooding, as well as repair the destruction caused by Sandy,” said Pallone. “Our beaches are a fundamental part of life here on the shore, both for residents to enjoy and also to drive tourism. I have fought for this and other beach replenishment projects for years because I know how important they are to protect some of our most fragile coastal infrastructure.”

The beach replenishment from Asbury Park to Avon is part of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ larger effort that covers a majority of the beaches from Sea Bright to Manasquan, which is the largest beach nourishment project ever undertaken by the Army Corps and the world’s biggest beach-fill project, in terms of sand volume. Once completed, the greater protective barrier between the coastal communities and the ocean will reduce the risk of flooding and storm related damages.

The contract awarded today is the last of four contracts to be awarded for the overall Sea Bright to Manasquan beach replenishment project. The contract for Sea Bright and Monmouth Beach was awarded in June and is nearing completion. The Long Branch contract was awarded in August with work set to begin in November. Work will begin for the Belmar to Manasquan portion of the project in late October. The Army Corps of Engineers expects to complete the entire project by mid-2014.