The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ contractor Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company (GLDD) completed the Holgate beachfill operations on November 23, 2016, marking the conclusion of initial construction of Long Beach Island’s dune and berm system.
Dune grass planting is also in progress, with completion anticipated by mid-February.
As the USACE said on its official project website: “A feasibility report completed in September of 1999 recommended beachfill with periodic nourishment to reduce potential hurricane and storm damages for the island.”
On December 5, 2014, the USACE awarded the $128 million contract to Great Lakes to complete initial construction.
That work, which was 100 percent funded by the 2013 Disaster Relief Appropriations Act, known as the Hurricane Sandy Relief Bill, began in Ship Bottom in early May 2015, then moved to various segments of Long Beach Township, including Holgate.
Project background
Long Beach Island is an 18-mile barrier island in southern Ocean County, New Jersey. The area regularly suffers damages from coastal storms, hurricanes and nor’easters.
The Barnegat Inlet to Little Egg Inlet Coastal Storm Risk Management project, also known as the Long Beach Island beachfill or beach nourishment program, is designed to reduce erosion and property damages associated with these events.
It is a joint effort of the Army Corps and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.
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