MILESTONES REACHED IN CHRISTIE ADMINISTRATION’S PROTECTIVE
SHEET PILE BEACH PROJECT IN MANTOLOKING AND BRICK
FINAL SHEETS DRIVEN IN MANTOLOKING; ENTIRE INFRASTRUCTURE RESILIENCY
AND PROTECTION PROJECT TO SAFEGUARD ROUTE 35 IS 75 PERCENT COMPLETE

(14/P116) TRENTON – Crews building a 3.5-mile-long steel barrier to protect the northern Barnegat Peninsula, which was devastated by Superstorm Sandy, have completed their steel sheet piling work in Mantoloking and are close to the end of that task in neighboring Brick, Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin announced today.

“This vulnerable segment of New Jersey’s coastline will be made significantly stronger by this project, especially when coupled with the impending construction of a new dune system and rebuilding of beaches by the Army Corps of Engineers,’’ said Commissioner Martin. “This is an important piece of the Christie Administration’s comprehensive strategy for making our coast more resilient to future storms.’’
 
Work on this $23.8 million project began in July. The project remains on schedule, with all of the remaining steel sheets to be driven into the beaches in Brick by mid-November.

In Mantoloking, the last 45-foot -high section of marine-grade sheet piling was driven into the beach at the border of Brick and Mantoloking, across from the Curtis Point area, last week. The driving of sheet piling is now being conducted by three different crews in Brick, with the most vulnerable section of Brick’s beach – adjacent to Camp Osborn – already protected by steel sheets.

“Significant effort is being made to move the revetment project forward and expedite the vital protections that it provides our barrier island and mainland residents and structures,” said Brick Township Mayor John G. Ducey. “The patience and consideration of those impacted by the work is appreciated. It is taking time, but the long term benefits clearly outweigh the short term inconvenience.”

The project extends from Lyman Street in Mantoloking and runs south to the southern end of coastal Brick. After the steel sheets are driven into the sand they are covered with an epoxy-coated steel cap. The section where the project started, adjacent to Herbert Street, in Mantoloking, is capped and already covered with sand.

The completed sheet piling project will be incorporated into a dune system as part of a beach construction project by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that will provide protection for nine Ocean County municipalities on the peninsula hard hit by Sandy. The engineered beach project, one of seven to be done by the Army Corps as part of the state’s comprehensive coastal protection system, is expected to commence in March.

 “The completion of the installation of steel in Mantoloking marks yet another milestone in our recovery from Sandy,” said Mantoloking Mayor George C. Nebel. “The steel that starts at the northern end of Mantoloking and carries through Brick Township provides not only a greater level of protection from future storms, it gives homeowners an added level of confidence as they continue to rebuild.

“We remain extremely grateful to the Governor's Office, the DEP, the Federal Highway Administration, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for their unwavering support and dedication to this project.” 

Superstorm Sandy extensively damaged and breached this section of the northern Ocean County barrier island, putting State Route 35, a vital artery, out of service for many months and resulting in massive destruction of property in the two towns.

Because it protects Route 35, which is now under reconstruction, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) committed to paying 80 percent of the cost of the steel sheeting project from Sandy Emergency Relief funds. The state is funding the remaining 20 percent of the project costs through the DEP’s Shore Protection Program. There is no cost to the towns.

EIC Associates of Springfield Township in Union County is installing the steel sheets through a publicly bid contract with the state.

For a DEP Bureau of Coastal Engineering power point presentation on the project, visit
www.state.nj.us/dep/docs/bulkhead-present.pdf

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

For more on the state’s Route 35 Reconstruction Project, visit: 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: www.nap.usace.army.mil/Missions/Factsheets/FactSheetArticleView/tabid/4694/Article/6450/new-jersey-shore-protection-manasquan-inlet-to-barnegat-inlet-nj.aspx