Ocean City’s ongoing beach-fill project will dump about 400,000 more cubic yards of sand than originally planned after harsh weather over the past few months caused more damage to north-end beaches, city Administrator James Rutala said.
The additional work will cost the city another $190,000, he said.
Overall, the $17 million federal project, of which Ocean City pays about 8 percent, will pump about
1.8 million cubic yards of sand on two miles of beaches.
Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Co. is stocking sand from the northern tip of Ocean City south to 17th Street. The work is expected to continue until April.
“They say that timing is everything. Had the city not planned for this project along with our legislators two or three years ago, we’d be in a pretty precarious position now,” Rutala said. The ongoing work is part of the largest Ocean City beach fill in years and the first federal project in six years, he said.
Ocean City is benefiting from the fortunate timing of its beach fill as severe storms have been eroding beaches along the coast.
As this weekend’s winter storm approaches, Great Lakes will stop work and move its dredge to a safe harbor, Rutala said.
The Army Corps of Engineers, the state Department of Environmental Protection and the city are partners in the project.
Rutala said Ocean City Council next week will consider a $1.5 million bond appropriation to fund rebuilding dunes along city beaches.
The work would rebuild damaged dunes, plant grass and install sand fencing throughout the city, he said. Rutala said Ocean City hopes the Federal Emergency Management Agency will later reimburse the city for the work.
Meanwhile, Sea Isle City and Avalon are partnering on their own beach fill projects in order to repair their beaches before summer.
Their beach fill, which the municipalities are funding themselves without the promise of state or federal aid, is expected to cost more than $10 million.
In the summer, Sea Isle City received part of a beach fill – funded by the state Department of Environmental Protection and the city – to pump about 400,000 cubic yards on beaches in the north end of the city and on downtown beaches.
Source: Press of Atlantic City, February 5, 2010
