Government

First Phase of Seaside Heights Boardwalk Replacement to Start As Soon As Summer Ends

by
Daniel Nee
July 9, 2024

The southern portion of the 2023 Seaside Heights boardwalk replacement after completion, March 2023. (Photo: Daniel Nee)

A project to replace the bulk of the Seaside Heights boardwalk will begin as soon as the busy summer comes to a close in order to have the entire project completed by near season, Mayor Anthony Vaz said this week.

The borough council has awarded a $1,021,773 contract to Epic Management, which will begin the first phase of the boardwalk replacement project at the north end. The work will be funded by the state through Gov. Phil Murphy’s Boardwalk Preservation Fund.

“Right after the summer, we’ll start at the north end and work south,” said Vaz. “The intent is to, hopefully, complete the whole boardwalk – get it all done by the start of next summer.”

The area to be covered by the initial phase of work will begin at Hiering Avenue at the northern end of the boardwalk and, most likely, run as far south as Sheridan Avenue. Contracts for the larger phase of work, from Sheridan Avenue to Franklin Avenue, will be sought in the coming months as the northern portion is completed. Last year, the borough began the project by replacing timber on the southern end of the boardwalk between Porter Avenue (south of the Beachcomber) to Franklin Avenue.

Boardwalk replacement construction continues along the southern portion of the Seaside Heights boardwalk, Jan. 10, 2023. (Photo: Daniel Nee)

Construction on the replacement of the southern portion of the Seaside Heights boardwalk begins, Dec. 5, 2022. (Photo: Daniel Nee)

Boardwalk replacement construction continues along the southern portion of the Seaside Heights boardwalk, Jan. 10, 2023. (Photo: Daniel Nee)

“This first contract is for phase one, which is going to cover a small part of the project,” said Borough Administrator Christopher Vaz. “We’re going to be going out to bid soon on the remainder of the project with the $3 million that we still have to spend.”

Seaside Heights received $4,795,362 from the boardwalk fund to complete the timber replacement, plus install new ramps for each street end. The larger project will also include piping and conduits which will allow for continued upgrades of the borough’s public address system.

The borough has been setting up the hard-wired system over the past several years, replacing an old wireless system that had proven unreliable. Much of the system is set up and working already, however the boardwalk replacement will carry fresh wiring and allow for the addition of more equipment in the future, if necessary. The town also uses the PA system to carry emergency announcements, general announcements at the end of the beach day, as well as to play the National Anthem each morning to start the day.

Progress on the Seaside Heights boardwalk replacement project, Feb. 7, 2023. (Photo: Daniel Nee)

Boardwalk replacement construction continues along the southern portion of the Seaside Heights boardwalk, Jan. 10, 2023. (Photo: Daniel Nee)

Officials intend to keep the entire boardwalk open during construction. During last year’s project, one side of the boardwalk was replaced at a time, leaving an open path for those seeking a stroll on the boards.

Seaside Heights has planned for several years to begin replacing the boardwalk timber as well as the street-end ramps, built in the winter of 2013 after Superstorm Sandy destroyed the previous boardwalk. Some officials have theorized that when the borough’s entire boardwalk was replaced following Sandy, the screws used to secure the boards were not of the highest quality stainless steel, causing some early deterioration. But more than a decade later, regular maintenance replacement is required nonetheless.

As with most projects in a busy resort town, timing is everything, officials say.

“If we start right after Labor Day, we should be in good shape,” Mayor Vaz said.