NORTH WILDWOOD – Contractors are nearing final stages of a sand back-passing project, an annual effort to maintain beaches and protect infrastructure at the island’s north end.
This is the eighth consecutive year a project to harvest, truck and stockpile sand from the wide beaches of Wildwood to the eroded end of North Wildwood is underway.
This year’s project, the largest scale version, will cost the city more than $3.5 million and move more than 350,000 cubic yards of sand, according to City Administrator Ron Simone.
Crews worked through the winter to stockpile sand, which formed towering hills at the back of the beaches. The city spreads sand as close to the end of the offseason as possible to avoid losing any in a spring storm. That process began around the beginning of May.
Simone said barring a spring storm or other loss of material, the city is planning to have public access to beaches as far north as Fifth Avenue. Mayor Patrick Rosenello said most of the work will be done before Memorial Day weekend, with a few finishing touches after.
