MONMOUTH BEACH — Monmouth Beach Mayor Tim Somers said the borough received notification Friday from the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers that a sand replenishment project for the area will be starting this winter.
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In a letter to borough residents, the mayor said the project will be bid on Aug. 25 and should begin in late fall and finish by March 2027. It will be a partial replenishment of the beachfront, Mayor Somers said. The project will cover the area from the Monmouth Beach Bathing Pavilion to just north of Monmouth Beach Bath and Tennis Club.
“This area is known as a “hot spot” and has eroded at a faster rate over the years,” the mayor wrote in his letter. “The whole project will encompass three areas of the Monmouth County coast. The area of North Long Branch by Seaview Avenue and Seven Presidents Park, our section in Monmouth Beach, and a couple hot spots in Sea Bright.”
The mayor said Hurricane Erin’s close brush with the coast last summer was a wakeup call to the area.
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“I thank all of you for joining our letter writing campaign last summer to alert our state and federal leadership of our great need for this funding,” Mayor Somers said. “We extend our sincere gratitude to Congressman Frank Pallone for his help in securing necessary funding to protect our shores. Our voices must continue to remind our leaders of the important value this sand provides New Jersey. These precious grains of sand protect our communities from storms and help mitigate the impact of sea level rise. The dual benefit of summer tourism is a win-win for the entire Jersey Shore and New Jersey as a whole.”
Mayor Somers said he was looking forward to the project, and was “optimistic that full funding will be restored to the Shore Protection Act,” which funds such projects.