Avalon’s 2011 spring beach fill project will begin on Easter Weekend with sand being pumped onto the Borough’s north end beaches starting Saturday evening or Sunday morning, April 23rd or 24th. The project will now include additional beaches in the north end in the community and extend from approximately 8th Street south to 30th Street and involve in the neighborhood of 500,000 cubic yards of sand.
“Avalon fully took advantage of three options in the contract that will allow us to place additional quantities of sand onto the north end beaches in our community which have eroded over time”, said Avalon Mayor Martin Pagliughi. “We received positive news during a project status meeting on Tuesday that will result in the additional beach fill. Avalon will have fully protective and recreational beaches in place for the summer tourism season, and the upcoming storm season”.
Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company LLC will be conducting the beach fill for Avalon. The dredge “Illinois” was making its way up the eastern seaboard on Tuesday, April 19th and was located off the coast of North Carolina. The “Illinois” is expected in Avalon this weekend and sand will be pumped onto the beaches starting Saturday evening or on Easter Sunday. Once the operation begins, sand will be pumped 24 hours a day until the project is complete. The only interruptions to the project would be related to bad weather or a mechanical failure.
This beach fill project in Avalon is a partnership with the United States Army Corps of Engineers and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. Originally beaches from 16th Street south to 30th Street were designated to receive 270,000 cubic yards of sand during this project. The Borough fully executed three options in the contract that will now allow for approximately 200,000 additional cubic yards of sand to be placed on the beachfront north of 16th Street. The beach fill will begin near 8th Street and proceed south to 30th Street until the work is complete. Without delays, it will take approximately 20 days to complete the Avalon portion of the project. After the work in Avalon is complete, the operation moves to the Stone Harbor beachfront for a beach fill project that will begin in that community during the month of May.
