Work on the Middle Beach Boardwalk began April 7, 2014. Blogfinger photo © Click left to appreciate the metal bulkhead.
By Paul Goldfinger, Editor@Blogfinger.
The opening salvo: Heavy equipment is now arriving to begin the process of building the Middle Beach Boardwalk . In the photo above, you can see the famous old metal bulkhead (aka sheathing wall) which stood west of the old boardwalk. Note that there was a wooden bulkhead at the north end boards and a continuation of the metal wall at the south end ; those bulkheads were already east of the boardwalk and they protected those ends during Sandy.
The metal bulkhead (see the photo above) looks like a rusty old hulk, but it actually is quite sturdy and “in there” according to JP Gradone, COO of the OGCMA who has been communicating with the Epic Corp—the contractor. Note that the metal sheathing will be attached to the new boardwalk.
When the project is done, by June 15, the entire boardwalk, from one end to the other, will be west of the bulkheads and thus better positioned to resist another massive storm.
As for the financing, Neptune Township, via their bond issue, will pay the contractor bills, and then the CMA will bill FEMA. Finally the FEMA money will repay Neptune, and everything will be copacetic.
DAVE STEWART and the SECRET SISTERS: “One Way Ticket to the Moon.”