Avalon Receives Permit, Bids for Back Bay Dredging Project

AVALON — The Borough of Avalon has obtained state permits it needs to move forward with an innovative dredging project that is scheduled to begin this fall with the first-ever municipal offload of a major New Jersey confined disposal facility (CDF) that will make room for future dredged materials. Avalon also conducted a formal bid opening on Aug. 23; at the Aug. 28 meeting of the Avalon Borough Council, Council unanimously voted to award the contract to South State Inc., of Bridgeton NJ to remove dredge materials from the CDF. South State’s bid was $3.8 million.
“This offload of dredged materials from Avalon’s CDF at Graven’s Island is the first of its kind in the State of New Jersey”, said Avalon Mayor Martin Pagliughi. “Avalon has received the necessary permits to remove dredged materials from that location in advance of an upcoming dredging project that will restore safety and navigation in essential bayside waterways and channels”.
Borough officials are now in receipt of permits from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection that will allow for the construction of a temporary road from Avalon Boulevard to the Graven’s Island CDF. A federal permit may be delivered to the Borough before the weekend. The temporary road will allow the contractor to remove dredged materials from the site to an offshore location. Approximately 130,000 cubic yards of dredged materials will be offloaded from Graven’s Island to make room for new dredging material that will be dredged and placed on the site. The Borough retains the option of removing an additional 23,000 cubic yards of material at a later date.
“Essentially Avalon is re-using an asset we purchased years ago from Middle Township to continue dredging projects when they are needed”, Mayor Pagliughi said. “The removal of this material will allow us to begin an aggressive back bay dredging project starting in late 2014”.
The Borough of Avalon continues discussions with Middle Township regarding a potential partnership between both communities that may result in additional dredging for Avalon Manor. A partnership with Middle Township would result in reduced dredging costs for both communities.
It is possible the construction of a temporary road to the Graven’s Island CDF will begin before the end of Sept. Dredge material would be offloaded from the site from Nov., 2013 through May 2014 with a seasonal restriction on the work in place until early Sept., 2014. The offload would continue through Dec., 2014 with the dredging project beginning sometime in late 2014 and ending in 2015.
For more information, please visit www.avalonboro.org.