Politics & Government
Beach Widening Project to Begin on or About Feb. 16
The current scope of the beach replenishment project is from Seaspray Road to 14th Street.
The scheduled Army Corps of Engineers sand replenishment project for north-end and downtown beaches will begin on or about Feb. 16 (depending on the weather), the city announced Tuesday.
A 309-foot dredge operated by the Great Lake Dredge and Dock Company of Oak Brook, Ill., will operate 24 hours a day. The dredge will be located in the ocean off the north end of the island with no noise impacts to residents.
It will be replacing a total of 1.8 million cubic yards of sand and be pumping 19,050 cubic yards a day. It should take less than five days to replenish an average Ocean City block.
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Dredging will begin at Beach Road in the north end of the city and proceed north to Seaspray Beach, then proceed south to 14th Street. The current limit of the project is 14th Street, although the city is negotiating to extend the project south. The beach fill operation as it now stands is expected to take 95 days to complete.
The cost for the original project prior to Superstorm Sandy was $10,320,000, of which the federal government was responsible for 65 percent, the state Department of Environmental Protection 26.25 percent and the City 8.75 percent. It is estimated that supplemental Sandy funds will add about $5.5 million to the contract to buy sand lost to the storm at 100 percent federal cost.
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About $370,000 of stormwater outfall pipe repairs are also part of the contract. The cost will be shared 75 percent by the state and 25 percent by the city.
The city has also requested the Corps to obtain a proposal to rebuild dunes lost to Sandy from the Seaspray Beach to 11th Street and to repair storm outfall pipes damaged by Sandy. Estimated cost for addition outfall repairs is $200,000 and the sand for the dunes at $480,000. The cost for the dune rebuilding and additional outfall repairs will be 75 percent reimbursed by FEMA and 25 percent funded by the city.
The City will write an additional contract for sand fence installation and dune grass planting. Volunteers will be recruited to assist with the planting.
The Army Corps of Engineers, Philadelphia District, is responsible for the contract and construction management of the project.
People may watch the operation from a safe distance behind established safety fence/tape boundaries during daylight. The project site is dangerous at night and spectators are strongly advised to stay away.
As has been the custom in the past, the city will present honorary Sea Shore Sand Supervisors Certificates to those who watch the operation. The Certificates will feature a photo of the dredge and verify that “the holder has spent at least five minutes watching Ocean City’s massive beach replenishment project from the Boardwalk or suitable safe location.”
The certificates will be available at the Public Relations Office, 2nd Floor of City Hall or by calling (609) 525-9300.
— News release from the City of Ocean City
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