DEP AWARDS CONTRACT FOR PROTECTIVE SHEET PILING PROJECT IN
MANTOLOKING AND BRICK
INFRASTRUCTURE PROTECTION PROJECT FOR ROUTE 35 AND LOCAL COMMUNITIES TO START IN JUNE

(14/P46) TRENTON – The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has awarded a contract to construct and install four miles of steel sheet piling into the beaches of Mantoloking and Brick to protect Route 35 and nearby homes and businesses from future severe storms, Commissioner Bob Martin announced today.

A $23.8 million publicly bid contract has been issued to EIC Associates of Springfield Township in Union County. The contract calls for the Federal Highway Administration-approved infrastructure project to be completed within 180 days.

The steel sheeting project will complement an engineered beach and dune system planned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which will bolster beach protections for nine coastal towns on the northern Ocean County peninsula. Construction on the steel sheet piling project is scheduled to start in June.

“This is another key component of the Christie Administration’s commitment to a full coastal protection system for New Jersey,’’ said Commissioner Martin. “The sheet piling will be incorporated into the Army Corps of Engineers overall coastal protection efforts.’’ 

“We are eager for this important project to get started, as it will help safeguard a narrow segment of coastline that was breached during Superstorm Sandy,” added Commissioner Martin. “It is paramount that we lessen the vulnerabilities to future storms.’’

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has committed to pay 80 percent of the cost of the project from Sandy Emergency Relief funds. The state will fund the remaining 20 percent of the project costs.

The DEP has completed state environmental reviews for its project design, and entered into future maintenance agreements with Mantoloking and Brick townships. Right-of-way easements also have been secured.

Superstorm Sandy destroyed the dune system and flooded the highway along this stretch of northern Ocean County. The infrastructure protection project will extend from Lyman Street in Mantoloking south to the southern end of Brick.

It will include 45-foot high steel sheets that will be driven 30 feet into the ground on the landward back slant of the beach’s dune. The sheeting will be situated on the landward slope of the dune system to be constructed by the Army Corps as part of its beach nourishment project.

The sheet piling system would serve as a last line of defense to protect Route 35 in the event of another extreme storm like Sandy and will provide permanent protection.

“The Township of Brick is eager to protect the residents and infrastructure of the barrier island, as well as the mainland section of town which was inundated by flooding due to breaches along the Route 35 corridor,” said Brick Mayor John G. Ducey.

"We are extremely excited for the sheet steel project to get underway,” added Mantoloking Mayor George C. Nebel. “This project, coupled with the upcoming Army Corps replenishment project, will not only protect the important tourism corridor of Route 35, it will give peace of mind for homeowners who want to begin rebuilding so that they can move on and enjoy the Shore once again."

For more on the state’s Route 35 Reconstruction Project, visit: http://www.nj.gov/governor/news/news/552013/approved/20130702b.html

For more on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers beach replenishment program in northern Ocean County, visit: http://www.nap.usace.army.mil/Missions/Factsheets/FactSheetArticleView/tabid/4694/Article/6450/new-jersey-shore-protection-manasquan-inlet-to-barnegat-inlet-nj.aspx

For more on the DEP’s Bureau of Coastal Engineering, visit: http://www.nj.gov/dep/shoreprotection/index.html