The future of a $148-million coastal floodwall in Highlands, N.J., proposed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and mostly federally funded, remains uncertain weeks after it faced strong local opposition. More than three quarters of town voters, concerned over its effect on property taxes and potential use of eminent domain for construction, rejected the plan that was included on their Nov. 5 state ballots.
But work on a separate estimated $300-million flood protection program in nearby Port Monmouth is moving forward with agency award late last month of a final $62-million construction contract.
The proposed 14-ft-high Highlands flood wall—designed to follow the perimeter of the shoreline—would be about 10,737 ft in length, says Corps spokesman James D’Ambrosio. The project also includes a detention pond, diversion culverts, raised ground surfaces, a road closure gate and a pump station for interior drainage, he adds.
The reinforced concrete structure was set to initially cost $13 million for residents in the flood prone area. When Hurricane Sandy hit the area in 2012, more than 83% of borough homes sustained damage, N.J. Advance Media reported. During an October update meeting in Highlands, state officials said $128 million in federal Infrastructure law funding for the project was approved by Congress.
The Corps now awaits a decision by the N.J. Dept. of Environmental Protection “to determine the next course of action on the project,” D’Ambrosio adds. A future municipal government could vote to advance the floodwall, media speculate, but the department has declined comment and Highlands Borough Mayor Carolyn Broullon could not be reached.
According to D’Ambrosio, Corps and New Jersey officials "will determine if the funds can be used elsewhere within the state."
Meanwhile, the Corps of Engineers late last month announced award of the final contract for the Port Monmouth Storm Risk Reduction Project, valued at nearly $62 million, which will include floodwalls along Highway 36, along with drainage systems, levees and road closure gates to protect against storm surge and rising sea level. The contract was awarded to contractor Anselmi & De Cicco Inc., Maplewood, N.J. Estimated project completion is December 2026.
The project is part of an estimated $300-million regional coastal resilience effort fully funded by the Corps and set to finish in in 2028. It will include extensive beach fill, wetlands mitigation, tide gates, concrete floodwalls, raised roads and interior drainage improvements that will involve 7,070 ft of levees, 3,585 ft of floodwalls and 240 ft of dunes, the agency says.
New Jersey’s push for infrastructure resilience comes in a state with close to 130 miles of mostly developed coastline, the third fastest-rising temperatures among U.S. states and a FEMA-recorded flood loss total that is second only to Texas, according to statistics.
Noting that insurers “are waking up to realities now” of climate change risks in New Jersey, department commissioner Shawn LaTourette told an ENR infrastructure conference earlier this year that “they need to be convinced that [it] remains a safe bet.”
