A new report from newsworks.org says the long-awaited construction of the steel seawall, that will protect Mantoloking and parts of Brick, NJ, from future super storms like Sandy, is set to begin in June.
A company called EIC Associates out of Springfield was awarded the contract (worth $23.8 million) by the state of New Jersey. As part of the winning bid, the contract stipulates the wall must be built within 180 days, meaning it should be done around November, 2014. The project cost will run up to about $40 million, with the federal government covering 80% of the costs, with the state picking up the tab on the remaining 20%.
The plan calls for 45-ft. high steel sheet pile to be driven vertically 30 feet into the ground, creating the foundation of the seawall that is estimated to cover four miles. The exposed steel will be covered with sand and will look like a sand dune when it's all said and done as part of a larger beach replenishment project. Officials hope the seawall acts like a long-hidden stone seawall at Bay Head did, and protects the Mantoloking and part of Brick. The stone wall at Bay Head was unearthed by Sandy's fury and is 1,260 meters long and dates back to 1882.
With the steel seawall in place, the homes and rebuilt Route 35 highway will be protected by sand - lots of it. The plan calls for the newly created dunes to crest 22 feet above sea level. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is heading the sand replenishment project.
The plan to build the steel seawall has been in the works since February, 2014, but some residents in Mantoloking have voiced concerns about the proposed steel barrier and how much effort it will take to keep sand covering the structure. Other critics of the plan argue having the steel barrier in place won't be as effective as a rock wall similar to the one protecting Bay Head.
New Storm Surge Maps To Predict Storm Surge Flooding
With the six-month hurricane season set to start June 1, detailed maps will be coming from the National Hurricane Center that will show projected storm surge flooding for areas along the Gulf and Atlantic Coasts. Forecasts call for a quieter-than-normal hurricane season in 2014 with 3-6 hurricanes expected to form.
When a hurricane makes land, it's the storm surge that does the most damage and kills the most people.
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