$21.6M Contract Awarded For Sea Isle City, Strathmere Beachfill Project

CAPE MAY COUNTY, NJ — Sea Isle City and Upper Township’s Strathmere section are slated for dune and beachfill work under a $21.6 million contract awarded by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Philadelphia District.

According to the Army Corps, Norfolk Dredging Company of Chesapeake, Virginia, received the contract for periodic nourishment of the Great Egg Harbor Inlet to Townsends Inlet dune and beachfill project. The agency said it expedited pre-construction steps consistent with the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works’ “Building Infrastructure, Not Paperwork” initiative.

The contract calls for dredging, pumping and placing about 1.86 million cubic yards of sand from two borrow areas. According to the Army Corps, one borrow area is off Corsons Inlet and the other is about three miles offshore of Sea Isle City.

In Strathmere, 1,381,000 cubic yards of sand are scheduled to be placed from north of Seaview Avenue to the Landis/Commonwealth intersection, a stretch of about 5,168 feet. In Sea Isle City, 479,000 cubic yards of sand are planned between 29th/30th streets and 54th/55th streets, covering about 6,771 feet, according to the project update.

The Army Corps said the sand will be graded into an engineered dune and berm template designed to maintain the dune and berm system and reduce damage from coastal storms. The contract also includes installing or repairing dune crossovers and access paths, fencing and other features.

The project is a joint effort involving the Army Corps’ Philadelphia District, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and the municipalities. According to the project update, the work is cost-shared evenly, with 50 percent federal funding and 50 percent non-federal funding.

Construction is expected to begin in early June in Sea Isle City after Norfolk Dredging Company mobilizes dredging equipment for the project, according to the Army Corps. The agency said construction updates will be posted regularly on the USACE Philadelphia District’s website.