North Wildwood beach replenishment to be done before Memorial Day Weekend
NORTH WILDWOOD, N.J. (CBS) -- Memorial Day Weekend is the unofficial start to summer, and while the beaches in Wildwood will be open, crews are working to fill eight feet of erosion.
It's a race against the clock in North Wildwood, as bulldozers move sand on a stretch of the rapidly shrinking shoreline.
Chopper 3 was over the emergency repairs as the city prepares for large crowds during the busy Memorial Day weekend.
"I was glad to see them because all winter we were told there wasn't going to be a replenishment program," said Eileen Cosella.
North Wildwood is repairing dunes and beach access points between 12th and 16th avenues, which are some of the most heavily eroded areas.
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New Jersey's Department of Environmental Protection granted permission for the repairs last week, citing safety reasons, and the work began Monday morning.
"Right now, we're working on getting rid of the dangerous cliffs. Some pieces may have been as tall as 15 feet," said North Wildwood City Administrator Nic Long.
Long said the city declared an emergency in October after Hurricane Ian battered the beach.
However, the city and state have been fighting for years on how to protect the shoreline from erosion -- a battle that's led to $33 million in litigation and with a replenishment project still years away.
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"Since we lost mostly all our protection and the level of the beach berm, every high tide cycle and minor storm has been eating away at our protective dune system," Long said.
Now, as some get an early jump on the weekend, many are thankful to get their beach back.
"It's going to open up so much more space for everybody, especially with all the people coming in. So, very exciting," said Gavin Zanck.
We are told the beach battle is still working its way through the courts. However, these emergency repairs are expected to be completed by Thursday afternoon.
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