The ongoing beach replenishment and dune-building project continues to move along on Ocean County’s northern barrier island.
Work this week is focused primarily on the area known as Brick Beach 3, the township’s largest and busiest public beach. By Tuesday night, workers had begun spreading sand near the Ocean Club condominium complex (commonly known by its former name, the Thunderbird). The hopper dredges RN Weeks and BE Lindholm are onsite conducting beachfill operations, according to the latest update from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Philadelphia District, which is overseeing the project. Construction across the entire town will end in August, however only 1,000 feet of beach is closed at a given time. The pipe landing was made near Bel Air Road. Pumping will proceed south first and then flip and pump north from Bel Air Road.
The next areas to be completed are:
- Normandy Beach: Mid-June through August. The plan is to make the pipe landing near Pompano Way and first pump to the north then flip and pump south from Pompano Way.
- Ortley Beach: Late May through late August. The plan is to make the pipe landing south of Colony Road and pump north into Ortley.
- Northern Mantoloking: The current construction estimate is August through late September. The plan is to make the pipe landing near Lyman Street and first pump south, then flip and pump north from Lyman Street.
- Lavallette: Construction will follow Mantoloking, in late-September through December. The plan is to make the pipe landing near Magee Avenue and first pump to the north, then flip and pump south from Magee Avenue.
- Seaside Heights: Late August through early October. Sand will be pumped from the Ortley Beach donor site.
The entire beaches in the upcoming towns will not be closed at one time. The corps’ contractor, Weeks Marine, shuts down 1,000 feet – two to three blocks – at a time during construction.
