Two Years After Sandy, Most Of New Jersey’s Boardwalks Rebuilt

EATONTOWN, N.J. – Many of the boardwalks in New Jersey that were damaged or destroyed during Hurricane Sandy have been successfully rebuilt in the two years that have passed since the storm.

Construction in most shore towns began as soon as it was feasible, and the boardwalks were complete and open for the start of the summer tourism season. Spring Lake used a composite material to rebuild its boardwalk, while Sea Girt used recycled boards for part of its repairs. Atlantic City repaired the damaged northern section of its boardwalk with ipe wood and is upgrading access ramps and adding more lighting.

One exception was Long Branch, where city officials waited to rebuild until they could secure federal funds, including assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which obligated $79 million for 84 Sandy-related boardwalk and beach restoration projects.

In January 2014, Long Branch received $14.5 million from FEMA to repair an approximately 1-mile section of boardwalk and bluffs. The project is expected to be completed in 2015.

The bluffs will serve as the support system for the boardwalk and new roadway from Melrose Place south to Brighton Avenue. They will be repaired with a new concrete foundation, 95,740 cubic yards of additional material, and 11,489 square yards of dune grass.

Plans call for 69,850 square feet of the boardwalk to be demolished and rebuilt. New lights, railings, and ramps will be installed from the boardwalk to the beach.

In October, the Long Branch City Council introduced a $30.4 million bond ordinance that includes $18.1 million for repairs to the boardwalk and bluff. The council anticipates that FEMA will reimburse the city for the cost of the boardwalk repairs and bluff construction, which Business Administrator Howard Woolley Jr. said could begin in the spring of 2015.

Belmar took the opposite approach, rebuilding its boardwalk first, and then working on a design for protective dunes. Belmar reopened its boardwalk in May 2013 before announcing plans for new dunes. The dunes will be sturdy, with 30-foot-long pieces of steel driven into the sand to a depth of 26 feet so the bulkhead stands out approximately 4 feet. The steel infrastructure will be covered with sand and plants will be added so that it looks like a natural dune. The $6 million dunes will shield the $8 million boardwalk from future hurricanes.

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.

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