Avalon's 22nd Street Beach. Photo by Scott Wahl.

AVALON- Borough Council awarded a contract to Mount Construction Company, Inc. of Berlin, New Jersey to conduct a backpassing beach fill that will result in 60,000 cubic yards of sand being moved from two beachfronts in the southern portion of the community to the northern end between 16th and 26th Streets.

The project is scheduled to begin in early February and be completed no later than March 15.

“This backpassing project provides Avalon with an affordable means to nourish the beaches in the northern end of our community while having no impact on the environment and no inconvenience to the public”, said Avalon Mayor Martin Pagliughi. “This backpassing project allows us to conduct a beach fill during the winter months that will result in greater protection for our community and a recreational beach for everyone to enjoy this summer."

The backpassing project will result in the mechanical relocation of sand that has naturally accreted to the southern beaches to the north end of the beachfront. Sand that naturally drifted to beaches between 32nd Street and 38th Street, and from 60th Street to 71st Street, will be collected and transported to the north end beachfront.

The backpassing project has received all permits from Army Corps of Engineers and the state Department of Environmental Protection.

“Basically what we are doing is recycling the sand that naturally drifted to our southern beaches”, Pagliughi said. “The project will be done during the quiet winter months and will not only result in a restored beachfront in the north end of town but also maintain a healthy protective and recreational beach for residents and visitors in the southern portion of Avalon. This is an innovative and cost-effective way to routinely re-nourish the beaches in Avalon’s north end that naturally erode over time."

It is anticipated that sand will be relocated from the 60th Street to 71st Street beachfront between Feb. 1 -29. Sand will be relocated from the 32nd Street to 38th Street beachfront between March 1-14.
By contract, all work must be completed by March 15. Trucks will be allowed to transport sand through the protected zone of the Avalon beachfront because no endangered plants or piping plover nests exist during this time period. Trucks will also be restricted to drive only on the “wet” sand area near the oceanfront.

Avalon will enact various safety measures for the duration of this backpassing project. Work will only be done during daylight hours.

The borough received nine bids for the backpassing project and the low bid was 25 percent under the engineer’s estimate which will save Avalon $121,000. Avalon will pay $5.82 per cubic yard of sand; that figure is more than two dollars less expensive than Avalon’s beach fill project in 2010 where a hydraulic dredge was used.

Avalon has conducted two backpassing beach fills in prior years, in 2005 and 2006. A pre-construction meeting on the project will be held at Avalon Borough Hall on Monday, Jan. 30

The borough conducted extensive and comprehensive studies relating to the impact are of the project and received all necessary permits and approvals. Avalon prepared a biological assessment for the Army Corps of Engineers who consulted with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The borough also was asked to prepare a report for the Historic Preservation Office. Avalon has provided the research and permitting template that the Borough and other communities can use for backpassing projects for years to come.

“There are major benefits to the public regarding a backpassing beach fill project”, Pagliughi said. “We can do this project during the winter months, at a much lower expense than a hydraulic beach fill. And, there are no heavy trucks bringing sand into our community which creates noise and stress on our infrastructure”.

For more information, please visit www.avalonboro.org.