U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Announces Contract Award for Fire Island to Montauk Point Coastal-Storm Risk-Management Project

New York District
Published Sept. 13, 2021
Updated: Sept. 13, 2021

NEW YORK – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York District, today announced a contract award of $47,469,180 to Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company, LLC, of Houston, TX, for the first contract of the Fire Island to Montauk Point (FIMP) Coastal-Storm Risk-Management Project. Work under the initial contract will reduce flood risk for vulnerable areas along an 83-mile stretch of Long Island’s barrier islands and back-bay communities from Fire Island Inlet to Montauk Point.

New York District Commander Col. Matthew W. Luzzatto stated: “Awarding this contract allows our District to enter the construction phase, providing increased coastal-storm risk-reduction measures for residents of these communities. I would like to thank all our partners at the federal, state and local levels for their tremendous support as we move into the implementation phase of this project.”

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos said, "Hurricanes and tropical storms like Henri and Ida are just the latest reminders of the disastrous and deadly consequences of our changing climate and the need to bolster our coastal communities' ability to withstand severe weather. Today's announcement advances construction of the Fire Island to Montauk Point Coastal-Storm Risk-Management Project, which will fortify coastal protections for Long Island communities most susceptible to risks of flooding. New York is proud to partner with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and our local partners on the ground on this critical effort that will enhance coastal resiliency and support our state's ongoing efforts to build back better."

This contract will hydraulically dredge over 1.5 million cubic yards of sand from Fire Island Inlet and strategically place it on updrift and downdrift beaches to reduce erosion and strengthen coastal resiliency. Approximately 802,000 cubic yards of sand will be placed west along Gilgo Beach, and 716,000 cubic yards of sand will go west on Robert Moses State Park. Work is expected to begin by late September or early October; a formal ground-breaking ceremony to recognize the initiation of the FIMP project will be planned upon the arrival of equipment and the start of work.

The work marks the beginning of a comprehensive, multi-year $1.7 billion project that includes a variety of features to reduce coastal flood risks. The work is fully federally funded under Public Law 113-2, the Emergency Supplemental Bill passed shortly after Superstorm Sandy. The project will undertake the following:

  • Inlet sand bypassing along Fire Island, Moriches and Shinnecock Inlets with monitoring to facilitate adaptive management changes (operational changes during a project to optimize its intended function)
  • Structure elevations and building retrofits for approximately 4,400 structures within the 10-year floodplain, and localized acquisition in areas subject to high-frequency flooding with the reestablishment of natural floodplain functions
  • A four-pronged Breach Response Plan for barrier islands evaluating potential actions for breaches that result from severe storms and tidal surges
  • Beach and dune fill on shorefronts, with renourishment approximately every four (4) years for up to 30 years after project completion
  • Feeder beach construction every four (4) years for up to 30 years at Montauk Beach. (A feeder beach is an artificially-widened beach that nourishes down-drift beaches)
  • Adaptive management to ensure sand volume and placement configurations accomplish design objectives of offsetting long-term erosion
  • Removal of the existing groins/jetties at Ocean Beach on Fire Island
  • Coastal-process features for 12 barrier island, and two mainland locations. Sediment will be placed along the barrier island bayside shoreline over the life of the project to reestablish coastal processes meeting the objective of no loss of habitat or sediment 
  • Integration of local land-use regulations and management

The US Army Corps of Engineers New York District will lead construction efforts in concert with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC), the non-federal sponsor, in cooperation with Suffolk County, the Towns of Babylon, Islip, Brookhaven, Southampton and Easthampton who were the signatories on the Project Partnership Agreement and local agreements executed over the last two months that have brought the FIMP project to fruition. The Corps will also be closely working with the National Park Service (NPS), Fire Island National Seashore (FIIS) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) who are important partners in ensuring protection of endangered species and environmental sensitivity are paramount as the partner agencies address costal storm risk vulnerability along the Atlantic Ocean shoreline.

 


Contact
Public Affairs
917-790-8108
cenan-pa@usace.army.mil

Release no. 21-003