Stone Harbor Releases Beach Fill Update

STONE HARBOR – The beach fill project has been suspended for the next one to two weeks.  Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company announced that a port breast switch shaft on the dredge failed March 29.  This will result in at least one week of repairs in safe harbor in Cape May before the dredge can continue working.  If time permits, the “Texas” will go to Cape May to finish a job before coming back to Avalon to complete the beach fill from 9th Street south to the northerly limits of 30th Street.  Avalon beach paths remain closed in the north end south to 15th Street.  Walters Marine is expected to begin work on beach paths on the new beachfront south to 13th Street in about one week.
There will be no substantive updates until the dredge is repaired and back in service in either Cape May or Avalon.
As previously reported, the final component to this beach fill project will begin after Avalon’s beaches are complete.   The Army Corp officially agreed to the proposal from Great Lakes for the supplemental sand from 80th Street to 105th Street.  When the bulk of the Avalon beach fill project ends in approximately five weeks, there will be a two day start to the next phase of the project.  The sand will be placed on the Avalon beachfront first, before the work is conducted in Stone Harbor.  The dredge pipe will be submerged from Townsend’s Inlet in the ocean to the landing zone located at the 83rd Street beach in Stone Harbor.  The project in southern Avalon and from 80th Street to 105th in Stone Harbor should take no more than 23 days to complete after it begins.  The anticipated end date would be June 17.