Army Corps awards $10.6 million contract for shoreline protection project at Orchard Beach in the Bronx
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York District, has awarded a $10.6 million contract to Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company of Oak Brook, Ill., to place approximately 250,000 cubic yards of beach fill onto Orchard Beach in the Bronx and to repair the beach's existing south groin.
The work will help combat erosion at Orchard Beach by replacing lost sand and repairing the south groin to inhibit future erosion. It will also make the beach safer by relieving overcrowding and eliminating dangerous drop-off zones.
"This project represents an outstanding investment of public dollars to provide the great people of the Bronx with a first-class recreational beach in these tough economic times," said New York District Commander Col. John R. Boulé. "We're excited to be partnering with the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation to restore Orchard Beach."
The project is a cost-sharing partnership with the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation, with 50 percent being federal funding provided by the Corps of Engineers and 50 percent being funding provided by the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation.
Work will begin in October and will be completed before the beginning of the 2011 summer beach season. This summer, over 1.4 million New Yorkers visited Orchard Beach.