Bathers and surfers will find Cove Beach larger next summer following a dredging and beach replenishment over the winter.
City Manager Bruce MacLeod attended a pre-construction meeting October 3 for the Lower Cape May Meadows Beach restoration project. He said the contract was awarded to Weeks Marine Inc. of Cranford.
MacLeod said the work is to be completed by mid-March 2013. The work would begin as soon a survey work is finished, he said.
The portion of the project pertaining to Cape May calls for placement of 163,000 cubic yards of sand at Cove Beach.
MacLeod said the bid process for the contract included several options including an additional 30,000 cubic yards for the Cove. He said the Army Corps of Engineers and state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) will make a determination of whether Cove Beach gets additional sand.
The borrow area for the sand is approximately three-quarters of a mile offshore.
“ They are using a hopper dredge as they did with the last beach replenishment which allows them to scoop the sand that distance offshore and bring it closer to shore and then send it into the beach area through approximately 5,000 to 6,000 of pipe…” said MacLeod.
He said once the dredging process begins, it is expected to last about 40 working days subject to weather interruptions.
If the Cove receives more sand, an additional 16 days could be added to the project, said MacLeod.
According the Army Corps of Engineers’ website, the contractor will place approximately 302,000 cubic yards of sand on the beaches of Lower Cape May Meadows in three locations: Cape May City/The Nature Conservancy property covering an area of about 163,000 cubic yards, Cape May Point State Park /Borough of Cape May Point about 102,000 cubic yards, and Cell #4 in Cape May Point covering about 37,000 cubic yards.
Solicitation will include options for dune crossover repair, dune fence placement, outfall repair, path/walkway repair, and vegetation removal from around existing ponds.
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Press Release, October 24, 2012