The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Philadelphia District awarded a contract to Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company of Oak Brook, Illinois for $32.5 million to complete periodic nourishment of two projects in Cape May County, N.J.
The contract calls for dredging more than 2.4 million cubic yards of sand and placing on the beaches in Ocean City, Strathmere, and Sea Isle City.
The sand will be pumped onto the beach at the following locations:
The sand is then graded into an engineered template, which is designed to reduce damages from coastal storm events. Most of the work involves widening the beach; however in some areas, dunes, beach access points, and sand fencing will be repaired.
There are also contract options to place additional sand and these options could be exercised depending on surveys and the condition of the beaches. The cost of the base contract and all of the contract options is $41.3 million.
The contract includes conducting periodic nourishment of two separate Coastal Storm Risk Management projects:
Both projects are joint efforts of the Army Corps’ Philadelphia District, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and the municipalities.
In the next several weeks, the Army Corps will coordinate with Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company on the dredging and construction schedule.