Long Beach Questions & Answers
What does the Long Beach project consist of?
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is building four (4) new groins, reinforcing 18 existing groins, placing beach fill, building dunes and planting dune grass along nearly 7 miles of low-lying shoreline from Point Lookout to East Atlantic Beach.
Why is this being done?
Long Beach communities have repeatedly suffered significant flooding and damage to homes and infrastructure from severe storms. In 2012, Hurricane Sandy caused hundreds of millions of dollars in damages and nearly 90 percent of local communities were inundated. This project will reduce risks of storm damage from future storm events.
How much will it cost? Who is paying for it?
Construction is expected to cost $230 million. It is 100 % funded by the federal government through the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act of 2013 (PL 113-2) providing funds to restore areas significantly impacted by Hurricane Sandy.
When will the work be finished?
The project is expected to be complete in 2020. Contract 1 (building four (4) new groins and reinforcing 18 existing groins), runs from summer 2016 - summer 2018. Contract 2 (placing beach fill, building dunes and crossovers, and planting dune grass), is expected to be awarded in fall 2017, and expected to run from early 2018 - early 2020.
Why can’t stones for groins be transported from New Jersey to Long Beach by barge?
The Corps of Engineers considered this option. However, it was eliminated ― in part ― due to the dangerous aspects of using barges in open-water areas during inclement weather. The use of barges also required significant double-handling of the materials, increasing project cost and schedule, and would still require using trucks to move stone from the barge landing to the construction zone.
Won’t vibration from trucking damage my home? Are you monitoring this?
All trucks are of legal weight and will adhere to all regulations required by commercial transportation. Since trucking began in early August, the contractor has deployed mobile vibration monitors along the entire trucking route from the Atlantic Beach Bridge to Point Lookout. These monitors collected five (5) days of data as trucks transported stone to document any significant vibration possibly caused by these activities. The monitors did not identify any significant vibration issues along the route, and a complete report will soon be provided to all interested parties. At least five (5) additional monitors have been installed near construction activities in Point Lookout, and the Corps of Engineers will continue to assess the situation.
Won’t there be traffic jams?
Our contractor is still seeking permission to use alternative truck routes that may alleviate some of the traffic issues that might arise.
Won’t trucking damage roads along the access route?
Trucks are standard flatbeds within legal weight limits. The contractor has recorded video and photographed the route. After trucking operations are complete, data will be compared with similar documentation recorded afterwards.
Can’t the project be postponed until we know more?
No. A legally-binding Project Partnership Agreement (PPA) has been executed, a contract awarded, and construction is underway. Prior to construction, residents provided feedback to the Corps of Engineers through a comment period and public meetings in several Long Beach communities. This information was incorporated into the final report approved by Corps Headquarters in D.C. and the Assistant Secretary of the Army.