Contractor Weeks Marine Inc. expects to begin replenishment on Long Beach Island at the end of January or ,in February, according to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Public Affairs Officer Steve Rochette. Weeks will move its operations to the Island after finishing a beachfill project in Brigantine.
The contract completion date is April 27 for the LBI project, which includes work in Harvey Cedars, Surf City and from 31st to 57th streets in the Brant Beach section of Long Beach Township.
“As far as the sequence of work, we should have more information on that in the next several weeks,” said Rochette.
Cranford-based Weeks Marine was the low bidder for the beachfill – a $34 million base bid and $40 million for base plus contract options – and beat out Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Co., Manson Construction Co. and the Dutra Group.
In November 2016, Great Lakes completed beachfill operations in Holgate, marking the conclusion of initial construction of LBI’s dune and berm system. The entire project area is now eligible for the Flood Control and Coastal Emergencies program.
As Rochette explained, “The way this works: After a significant storm event, we conduct a damage assessment and determine whether the project is eligible based on certain criteria. This program is national and funds repairs to projects across the country, so if the project has been approved and if there’s adequate funding available, we would move forward to repair the project or portions of the project.”
Supplemental federal appropriations became available to apply to several rehabilitation projects throughout the country, including the three sections of LBI set to be repaired soon.
Meanwhile, the entirety of the project will continue to be evaluated on a routine, as well as post-storm, basis. —J.K.-H. TheSandPaper