By Paul Goldfinger, Editor  @Blogfinger

Friday afternoon.  May 30, 2014.  Ocean Grove’s Middle Beach Boardwalk Project is underway—full steam ahead.

J.P. Gradone, COO of the CMA, had it right when he recently said, “It’s like when you build a house. Once the foundation is done, the framing goes real fast.”

The view from the south end of the project.  Note the horizontal supports which are set into the piles.  All photos and video by Paul Goldfinger ©

And so it goes for the OG  boardwalk project which seemed to be dragging in recent weeks during the excavation phase when the infrastructure was created including exposing the rusty hulk of a bulkhead.  The boardwalk was to be set into place west of its prior location so that it could be behind the reinforced bulkhead.

But now, a busy crew is going full speed down there as they drive piles rapidly into the ground using a very tall machine that looks like the Parachute Jump at Coney Island. As each pile is driven into place, the machine seems to slow down, take a deep breath and then belch out some dark smoke—only to move onto the next one without delay.

Then those piles are set upon by a team of burly guys who create notches in the piles to receive  horizontal thick wood beams.    After that the components are sandwiched together, and the workers  use  long strong drill bits to chew into the wood rapidly, creating holes for the galvanized steel bolts which hold it all together. Then steel washers and nuts are cranked in place using hand operated big wrenches.  Notches have also been placed into the steel bulkhead to receive the horizontal members on the ocean side.

Bolts out of the blue  attach the horizontal beams to the pilings.  ©

There is no doubt now that this project will be completed on time.  Even the Boardwalk Watchers Association can see that.

The Boardwalk Watchers’ Association. An ad hoc group keeping an eye on things.  ©  Click left to join the fun.

PETER, PAUL  AND  MARY