A fence around a section of the cutout road parallel to Long Beach Boulevard in Brant Beach, erected to create an area to help with the beach replenishment project demobilization, will be up for about two weeks, Long Beach Township Mayor Joseph Mancini announced at last Friday’s Board of Commissioners meeting.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers public affairs specialist Stephen Rochette confirmed the two-week period for the fence, which extends from 39th to 42nd streets.

“We met with the state and town on the matter last week,” said Rochette. “Basically, the streets closer to the beach are too tight for the large trucks to maneuver and get the equipment out. So this staging area is necessary to remove the piping and baskets and other equipment used for the project.”

On Friday, the commission passed a resolution to temporarily mandate two-hour parking in this area, “so that people don’t clog that area but can still visit the businesses,” said Mancini.

The latest schedule from Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company indicates that the beach replenishment, spanning 31st to 57th streets in Brant Beach, is on track for completion by the June 15 deadline.

The base contract comprises the placement of 1,200,000 cubic yards of sand, as well as construction of dune crossovers, sand fencing and dune grass plantings in the designated stretch, at a cost of $16.7 million. If the additional contract options are awarded, the total contract could be $17.9 million and include an additional 175,000 cubic yards of sand.

During the public session of Friday’s commission meeting, a few residents expressed concern about the new dune walkovers, and they asked about handicap access points in the area of the beachfill. There will be a reduction in the latter, but Mancini said the new walkovers are “very gradual. … They’re probably easier to go over than our previous handicap accesses.”

He added, “We’re not eliminating any handicap parking.”

The mayor also pointed out that while the walk to the ocean is now longer post-replenishment, he hasn’t heard any complaints. “Give this a chance,” he requested of the meeting attendees.

Bill Hutson, owner of Lorry’s Island End Motel in Beach Haven Inlet, checked out the completed areas of the project and found the walkovers are not too steep.

“I’m impressed with the project,” he added.

The next meeting of the Long Beach Township Board of Commissioners is 4 p.m. on Friday, June 15.

— Juliet Kaszas-Hoch

julietkaszas-hoch@thesandpaper.net