Long Beach boardwalk rebuild starting this week

The city officially signed a contract with Grace Industries last week to rebuild the 2.2-mile Long Beach boardwalk, with sections of the structure to be completed by July.

A groundbreaking ceremony to mark the $44.2 million reconstruction process is scheduled for Saturday at 11 a.m. at Riverside Boulevard. City officials said that the contract requires Grace to finish parts of the boardwalk — including stretches east from National Boulevard to Long Beach Road, and west from National to Laurelton Boulevard — in 100 days, and to complete the entire project in 210 days.

“A notice to proceed was issued to the contractor to officially begin construction-related activities,” City Manager Jack Schnirman said at the April 16 City Council meeting. “Our engineering and consulting firm will monitor and hold construction work accountable to a tight timeline. The boardwalk reconstruction process includes milestones, one of which is the 100-day milestone in mid-July. As sections of the boardwalk are completed, they’ll be open to the public for walkers, joggers and bicyclists to enjoy.”

The city intends to open its beaches Memorial Day weekend, and beach passes are expected to go on sale in the coming weeks. Schnirman said that a retaining wall will be one of the first pieces of the project, and that snow fencing will direct beachgoers to ticket-takers. Sixteen-foot-tall dunes have been created, he said, and the beach is currently being leveled and groomed in the center of town in preparation for the summer season.

The city is also preparing to reshape dunes in the west and east ends.

“We’re waiting on the [State Department of Environmental Conservation] to approve our permit, and once the dunes are reshaped, we’ll rebuild the walkovers that were there as well,” Public Works Commissioner Jim LaCarrubba said, adding that in the interim, the city will create entryways to allow beach access.

The new boardwalk will feature a low-maintenance tropical hardwood that has a 30- to 40-year lifespan. A wooden span with concrete edges will be built between National Boulevard and Long Beach Road, and the walkway’s eastern and western sections will be all wood.