A total of $8.5 million, funded with federal dollars and financed by the Department of Environmental Protection’s Shore Protection Fund, will repair the current seawall and construct a new 600-foot long stone structure, bridging a gap between the existing barriers.
This will provide one continuous structure along the shore to protect the Monmouth County beach town.Governor Chris Christie said funds were greatly needed to restore the area as it is a vital component of the state’s tourism economy.
"Repairing and extending this seawall in Sea Bright is part of a continuing effort we are making to fully restore and protect our entire coastline," Christie said in a statement. "This work is critical to protecting our coastal communities and to enhancing and safeguarding our beaches, which are vital to the state’s $40 billion tourism economy.”
The Army Corps of Engineers has already committed $345 million in coastal restoration projects from Sandy Hook to Manasquan with an additional $1 billion for new flood protection projects across the state’s 127 miles of coastline.
These flood protection projects, which will commence this fall, include repairs to major inlets in northern Ocean County, Long Beach Island, Absecon Island, Southern Ocean City and several beaches in Monmouth County.
The Sea Bright seawall project will go out to bid later this year with construction to begin next spring or early summer.