Update:  June 2, 2022

Avalon’s municipal engineers have informed the Borough that the contractor anticipates working on closed beach paths at 12-14th streets on Friday, June 3rd.  As of today, the plan is to have the beach paths open to the public by close of business Friday, June 3rd.

This project will end on or before June 17th, 2022.  The contractor will continue to haul sand from the borrow area just south of the Fishing Pier and bring it to north end beaches that were severely eroded in May.  This erosion caused significant public safety concerns with high cliffs as beach paths were also eroded.  Several other beach communities in southern New Jersey experienced the same issues.  Avalon is fortunate where sand backpassing is an option to restore the beach before the next hydraulic beach will which is anticipated to occur before summer, 2023.

The contractor will not work Saturday and Sunday.  As heavy equipment continues to traverse the north end beaches, beach access is provided at 17th, 20th, 25th, and 30th streets to assist the contractor with knowing where people are accessing the beach.  We continue to ask you to be aware that the beach is a construction zone with heavy traffic.  Please avoid the heavy vehicles and do not place your beach chairs or blankets in areas where you see truck tracks in the sand.  Thank you!

Update:  June 1, 2022

The Avalon sand backpassing project continues this week.  The project had been suspended during Memorial Day weekend, from Thursday through Monday.  Mount Construction has resumed hauling sand on the beach in an attempt to fill in the beach that was eroded in the north end.  Progress has been made by the contractor this week.  A few beach paths in the north end still remain closed for safety reasons.  The contractor has begun building a beach berm, which is essential to extend the beach.

The public is advised that there will be heavy truck traffic, at times, on the beach from just south of the Fishing Pier to the north end beaches.  Please place any beach chairs or blankets outside of the truck activity; tire tracks are often visible on the sand that notes the truck route.  Thank you!

Update:  May 23, 2022

Avalon continues to aggressively handle beach erosion in the north end of our community between 9th-16th streets.  A seven-day northeasterly wind earlier this month compounded the erosion problems.  The Borough’s contractor, Mount Construction, continues to work 10-12 hour days this week to do as much work as possible for the holiday weekend.

Work will conducted on Tuesday and Wednesday, May 24-25th.  Work will not occur Thursday, May 26th through Monday, May 30th.  Work resumes on May 31st.  In in the interest of public safety and to allow the heavy equipment to bring as much sand as possible to the north end before the holiday weekend, beach paths at 17th, 20th, 25th, and 30th streets will be open Tuesday and Wednesday, but all other paths will be closed in the immediate project area to allow heavy truck traffic to work on the beach.  Please observe these beach path closings for two days as we do as much work as possible for the holiday weekend.

All other beach paths south of the project area will remain open at all times.  From Thursday to Monday of the holiday weekend, all beach paths in Avalon that can be open safely will be open as no work will be done on the beach.

The good news is the contractor has confirmed that beach paths from 11th Street north are open.  The contractor has been able to prepare a beach berm which will allow additional sand placed to expand the beach.

The sand back passing project will be paused at close of business on Wednesday, May 25th, and resume Tuesday morning, May 31st.  Avalon will evaluate the progress made for additional announcements about potential beach path closings after Memorial Day weekend.

Update:  May 20, 2022

The National Weather Service has called for sunshine and unseasonably warm temperatures both Saturday and Sunday. Enjoy your day at the beach in Avalon, and be aware of the following tips:
-Beaches are unguarded this weekend; guards will be on our beaches starting one week from today.
-A major sand back passing project is underway. There will be no work on Saturday and Sunday, but be aware there will be some sand piles and heavy equipment on some north end beaches. In the interest of safety, encourage your children to avoid those areas.
-Some north end beach paths remain closed. Our contractor made progress on the project before a seven-day nor’easter erased the work, and took even more sand from north end beaches. Work will continue past Memorial Day weekend, but will be suspended from Thursday-Monday of the holiday weekend. The contractor has mobilized more trucks and labor in an attempt to get as much accomplished as possible before the holiday weekend.
Photo of the 13th Street beach Friday, May 20th by Avalon Business Administrator Scott Wahl.

Update:  May 11, 2022

 

This picture was taken Wednesday morning, May 11th, at 8:00am by Avalon Business Administrator Scott Wahl from the 13th Street beach path which remains closed due to severe erosion.

The initial work conducted on the Avalon sand back passing project was severely compromised, if not eliminated, during the Mother’s Day weekend storm event that continues with beach erosion today.  Wednesday, May 11th, is the fifth consecutive day of northeasterly winds that typically erode the north end beaches during the spring storm season.  Avalon municipal engineers have met with the contractor, and sand has been moved to only the southerly limits of the fill area.  It has been impossible to move sand to the primary fill area (10-13th streets) due to the strong northeasterly winds; placing sand there during these conditions is not an efficient use of funds, time, or resources.

The positive news during this event is that sand in the borrow area replenishes itself as quickly as it is stockpiled on the beach for transport to the north end.  Further conversations between the engineer and the contractor are held this week, and the contractor shall continue to work around tidal cycles.  Due to the major setback of this five-day wind storm that eroded much of the early volumes of sand that was placed on the beach, along with additional sand that had existed, the schedule for this project may be extended past Memorial Day weekend to provide a protective beach (hurricane season begins June 1st).  If that is the case, no work will be done Thursday-Monday of Memorial Day weekend so beach goers can enjoy the beach.

Update:  May 2, 2022

The contractor has begun work on the beach.  Sand is being harvested in the borrow area and trucked to the northern section of the Avalon beach.  As described below, this will be an active construction zone for the next four weeks, or so.  There will be no hauling operations on Monday or Tuesday; it resumes Wednesday, May 4th.

Summary:  The Borough of Avalon has contracted with Mount Construction of Berlin, NJ to conduct a sand back passing project during Spring, 2022.  The project is intended to replenish north end beaches that are damaged during winter and spring storm events.  This winter, Avalon was subject to two severe winter storms in January, and a significant wind/erosion event in early April.  Approximately 64,000 cubic yards of sand will be back passed from a borrow area located between 32nd-40th street beaches to the fill area, located between the 9th-16th street beaches.  The Coastal Research Center at Stockton University confirms that sand from north end beaches is placed by natural currents and storm events to the fill area.  The Borough typically rents equipment with the project performed by the Avalon Department of Public Works; however, this year, rented equipment was not available due to various supply chain issues.  Back passing is conducted when there is no hydraulic beach fill scheduled in order to have a protective beach in advance of hurricane season, which begins June 1st.

Timeline:  By contract, the entire project must be completed no later than June 17, 2022.  The contractor intends to begin the project in late April/early May, 2022 and intends to work Monday through Thursday, or Monday through Friday of each week.  No work is anticipated to be conducted on weekends.  No work will be done between Thursday, May 26th-Monday, May 30th due to the Memorial Day holiday weekend.  The work schedule is wholly dependent on tide cycles and weather conditions.  The contractor expects to haul approximately 2,500-3,000 cubic yards each day of work.

Project Execution:  The area between 38th Street and 9th Street will be an active construction zone during the length of this project.  Heavy equipment will be operating in both the fill and borrow areas; trucks will be traversing along the Avalon beach between both points during work days.  The sand will be scraped in the borrow area, placed in a stockpile, with trucks running sand north on the beach to the fill area for placement.  The sand will be graded per beach templates provided by the United States Army Corps of Engineers.  Most, if not all, of the sand removed from the borrow area will be scraped below the high tide line to leave the dry beach as is.  The contractor plans on leaving no large stockpile of sand in the borrow area during Memorial Day weekend.  The project will be monitored by Mott MacDonald, the municipal engineer for Avalon.

Safety Issues:  The Borough is asking individuals not to place beach chairs or blankets in the area where truck tires appear on the beach as this is the area where trucks will travel throughout the day.  Parents are asked to monitor their children so they avoid coming in proximity to the heavy equipment, moving or parked, and stay away from hazards including sand piles and other areas marked off by safety fencing.  The safety of the public is our number one priority during all construction projects.  The beach will be open during this project.  Select beach paths in the north end have been closed due to erosion and safety concerns.

Future Plans:  Avalon has confirmed that the Borough will participate in a hydraulic beach fill project before the summer of 2023.  That will result in a very large beach fill project for Avalon and likely remove the need to conduct a sand back passing project in advance of the next summer season.