News Releases

Army Corps Awards $18.3 million Contract for Asbury Park to Avon-by-the-Sea, New Jersey Post-Sandy Emergency Beach Replenishment Project

Published Sept. 27, 2013
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York District awarded a contract to place approximately 1.2 million cubic yards of sand to restore beaches from Asbury Park to Avon-by-the-Sea, New Jersey as part of an emergency shore protection project which repairs and restores previously constructed beach erosion control projects throughout the region affected by Hurricane Sandy.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York District awarded a contract to place approximately 1.2 million cubic yards of sand to restore beaches from Asbury Park to Avon-by-the-Sea, New Jersey as part of an emergency shore protection project which repairs and restores previously constructed beach erosion control projects throughout the region affected by Hurricane Sandy.

NEW YORK – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York District awarded an $18.3 million contract to Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company of Oak Brook, Illinois to place approximately 1.2 million cubic yards of sand to restore New Jersey beaches from Asbury Park to Avon-by-the-Sea as part of an emergency shore protection project which repairs and restores previously constructed beach erosion control projects throughout the region affected by Hurricane Sandy.

It’s the fourth of four contracts awarded for the repair and restoration of the entire Sea Bright to Manasquan, New Jersey project area, with an estimated total of 8 million cubic yards of sand to be placed to restore the entire project area.

“With this fourth contract awarded for emergency beach replenishment to restore the beaches from Sea Bright to Manasquan, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is hopeful that in addition to providing beach erosion control, that this construction will also assist the region heal by restoring an important and central element to the coastal communities,” said Col. Paul E. Owen, Commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York District.

Everything the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers does must be tied to a statutory authority.  The Sea Bright to Manasquan work is the result of two statutory authorities, one previously existing (PL 84-99) and one new since Hurricane Sandy (PL 113-2).

Through the Flood Control and Coastal Emergencies Act, PL 84-99, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is authorized to repair previously constructed projects after a large event like Hurricane Sandy.

Put simply, this pre-existing authority allows the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to return the project area to pre-storm conditions. Through this legal authority, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has been authorized to replace approximately 5 million cubic yards of sand lost from the entire Sea Bright to Manasquan project area during Hurricane Sandy.

Through the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act of 2013 (the Sandy Relief Bill, or PL 113-2), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was further authorized to restore previously constructed projects impacted by Hurricane Sandy to their original design profile. Through this legal authority, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was authorized and received funding to place the additional millions of cubic yards of sand from Sea Bright to Manasquan to restore the project area to its original design template.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ previously constructed beach erosion control project along the Atlantic Coast of New Jersey from Sea Bright to Manasquan was significantly damaged when Hurricane Sandy caused severe beach erosion resulting in the loss of millions of cubic yards of sand in the project area.

These types of beach restoration projects involve large pipes and heavy machinery, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers must ensure that work is performed in a safe and responsible manner that limits risks to the public.  The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers makes every effort to limit impacts to recreation from ongoing work without compromising public safety.  There will likely be rolling closures of roughly 1000 foot wide sections of beach where construction work is ongoing.  Closures are closely coordinated with local municipalities and the State of New Jersey.

The coastal restoration work from Asbury Park to Avon-by-the Sea as well as the larger Sea Bright to Manasquan project area is part of a larger U.S. Army Corps of Engineers effort throughout the northeastern United States to place more than 26 million cubic yards of sand to restore coastal storm risk reduction projects impacted by Hurricane Sandy. Roughly 16 million cubic yards of that is being placed at coastal storm risk reduction projects throughout the state of New Jersey, including work south of Manasquan Inlet being managed by the Philadelphia District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

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Contact
Vince Elias, Public Affairs
917-790-8204
vincent.f.elias@usace.army.mil
or
Jenifer Thalhauser, Project Manager
917-790-8632
jenifer.e.thalhauser@usace.army.mil

Release no. 13-028