USACE, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection ink agreement on coastal protection project

The US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) recently signed a project partnership agreement (PPA) for the Passaic River Tidal Coastal Storm Risk Management Project.

The USACE said the agreement will allow it to move forward on the design and implementation phase of the coastal storm risk management project.

The goal of the project is to reduce risk of flood damages for the Ironbound Section of Newark, New Jersey. It involves the construction of six floodwall segments and one levee segment totaling approximately 1.4 kilometres, which would tie into exiting topography and infrastructure to an elevation of 4.2 metres, flood gates, interior drainage features, and wetland mitigation.

A reevaluation of the Passaic River Mainstem project was underway when Hurricane Sandy devastated the area in 2012. Due to the devastation caused by storm surge in Newark, Harrison, and Kearny, the tidal portion of the Passaic River Mainstem study area was separated from the Mainstem to be expedited in its own study.

The project will have an estimated cost of approximately US$49 million with the USACE proportionate cost share projected to be US$32 million and the Non-Federal Sponsor NJDEP proportionate cost share projected at US$17 million.