Avalon Beach Fill Project

By BEN LEACH Staff Writer | Posted: Wednesday, January 13, 2010 |

Avalon borough officials are anticipating a smooth ride as they prepare to do another beach-fill project before the start of the busy summer tourist season.

The major beach-fill project, first proposed in October, already is moving forward with the support of the municipalities involved, with state funding.

Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company, LLC, of Oak Brook, Ill., already has submitted a bid of $10.4 million for the project. The price for transporting sand would be about $8.92 per cubic yard, down from $10.53 per yard in 2008.

“We would recommend that we award this contact as soon as possible and get this firm locked in,” said Tom Thornton, engineer for the borough of Avalon.

Avalon and Sea Isle City are participating in a joint beach-fill project. Avalon is expected to receive about 500,000 cubic yards of sand, while Sea Isle City will get about 700,000 cubic yards. The project would place sand on Avalon from Ninth Street to 26th Street.

While Avalon’s council members expressed their support to move the funding to a bond referendum, “I think it’s imperative that we keep the pressure on the state and the federal government to assist us,” said Charles Covington, borough council president.

Avalon already has a permit from the state Department of Environmental Protection and is waiting for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to modify the project so it can move forward.

Even though Avalon’s portion of the funding would only be about $4.5 million under the Great Lakes bid, the town will ask for $5.5 million in the bond referendum, in case it becomes possible to fill the beach with more sand.

“We might get another 100,000 cubic yards or so before they start working,” Thornton said.