USA: Toms River Project Slated for Early Spring

All of the beaches in Ocean County will have their dunes and beaches replenished by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers starting early next year.

Toms River Township officials met with members of the Army Corps of Engineers to learn the latest details of the massive $100 million plus project. After going to out to bid for contracts, construction is slated to begin in  the late winter or early spring (on or before 3/1/15).

“It’s imperative we get this project done to reduce our risk of coastal storm damage and strengthen our infrastructure,” said Mayor Thomas Kelaher. “The Township will keep maintaining temporary dunes until the Army Corps project is complete.”

Part of the holdup on the project was the reluctance of some homeowners to sign over the necessary easements allowing the Army Corps to access part of their private beaches. To date, there are only three homeowners in Toms River who have not consented to the project.

Kelaher said that the Township is in the process of using eminent domain to procure the easements needed, but the legal procedure is just part of what delayed the project.

When complete, residents will see 25-foot dunes and 200 foot-long beaches from the Manasquan Inlet to the end of South Seaside Park. The Army Corps will also maintain the beaches for the next 50 years.