Funds Secured for Another Post-Sandy Project

Funds Secured for Another Post-Sandy Project

Governor Christie yesterday announced the award of $8.5 million in state dollars to Sea Bright for a post-Sandy project to construct a portion of new sea wall and repair an adjacent damaged section of sea wall that is vital to the protection of this northern Monmouth County town from future storms.

The project, to be financed through the state Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) Shore Protection Fund, will target a 600-foot area of town from East Surf Street to River Street that sustained severe damage by Superstorm Sandy.

Repairing and extending this sea wall in Sea Bright is part of a continuing effort we are making to fully restore and protect our entire coastline, part of our statewide effort to be more resilient to future storms and weather events that occur in New Jersey,’’ said Governor Christie.This work is critical to protecting our coastal communities and to enhancing and safeguarding our beaches, which are vital to the state’s $40 billion tourism economy.’

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) already has completed a federally financed $345 million coastal restoration project from Sandy Hook to Manasquan, and we are working closely with the Army Corps on a $1 billion series of major coastal restoration and improvement projects for the rest of the state’s 127 miles of coastline to offer enhanced protection from future storms,’’ said DEP Commissioner Bob Martin.

The state-financed $8.5 million Sea Bright sea wall project is designed to protect the borough’s small downtown area. The project will go out to bid later this year, with construction to begin next spring or early summer.

Roughly half of the project will repair the damaged sea wall from East Surf Street to East Church Street, with larger stone for added protection. The section from East Church Street to River Street will require the installation of a newly constructed stone sea wall to bridge the gap between adjacent sea walls where none previously existed, to provide one contiguous shore protection structure.

The DEP is also working with FEMA on additional repair and reconstruction projects along the sea wall in Sea Bright.

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Press Release, August 29, 2014