The beach infill component of downtown Montauk’s portion of the Fire Island to Montauk Point beach nourishment project was completed in 20 days, or right on schedule, East Hampton Town Councilman David Lys said on Tuesday, and the contractor completed demobilization of the heavy equipment on Monday.
Ultimately, just over 462,000 cubic yards of sand were deposited on the downtown beach, he said, more than the 450,000 cubic yards that were predicted.
The project, more than six decades in the making, took on greater urgency in the final weeks before the arrival of the Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company, the Army Corps of Engineers’ contractor for the project. Storms in December and January exposed the thousands of geotextile bags installed on the beach in 2015, and left a greatly diminished beach.
Sand fences and beach grass plugs are now being installed, Mr. Lys said, starting at the eastern edge of the beach renourishment project and moving west.
Restoration of pedestrian overpasses damaged by the storms was not included in the project, but they “are looking to be included” under the Army Corps of Engineers’ Emergency Response to Natural Disasters authority to provide for emergency activities in support of state and local governments before, during, and after a flood.
The Army Corps and the State Department of Environmental Conservation “have recently stated that the overpasses might not be repaired prior to the summer season,” Mr. Lys said, “but the town board is pressing with priority to make sure that there [will] be public access to our beaches at those overpass sites, one way or another.”
Surf conditions have changed, Mr. Lys said. “But over all, the project is substantially complete as far as the beach infill, with minor restoration still left. . . . It’s not complete, but it’s on its way to it.”
He will give a fuller report on the project at that time, he said.
