Avalon Beach Fill to Begin May 20

AVALON — A major emergency beach fill project in Avalon will now start five days later than the anticipated start date. Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company, LLC of Illinois informed Avalon officials that the beach fill project will begin on or about May 20.
Great Lakes is putting more resources into the emergency joint beach fill project that is being conducted by both Avalon and Sea Isle City. The company informed officials in both communities that two dredges will be executing the project at the same time, instead of one dredge.
The dredges “Alaska” and “Illinois” will both be stationed off the coast of both communities, which means Avalon’s portion of the project will be completed on or about June 6; Sea Isle City’s beach fill is expected to wrap up the entire project on or about June 12.
Avalon’s portion of this emergency beach fill effort will result in approximately 500,000 cubic yards of sand being placed on the beachfront from Ninth Street south to 26th Street. The dredging operation will be conducted 24 hours, seven days a week until the work is completed. Avalon’s share of this beach project is $4.5 million.
Avalon Mayor Martin Pagliughi learned on May 12 that the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection will reimburse both Avalon and Sea Isle City for 75 percent of the costs associated with this emergency beach fill project.
Avalon received a pre-dredge survey on the sand “borrow” area on May 5, and will seek a permit modification to take more sand out of the borrow zone, which could result in more sand being placed on borough beaches.
Updates on the Avalon emergency beach fill project are available on Avalon’s newly designed website, www.avalon boro.org, and on Avalon’s television station, ShoreTV Channel 2.