Sea Girt rebuilding Sandy-wrecked boardwalk

Residents have clearly missed being able to walk on the boardwalk.

"I put on 10 pounds since it's been gone," said resident Bill O'Brien. "It's part of the reason people come here."

A local joggers' club recently sent a check for $500 to borough hall to help pay for a new boardwalk.

"It's the heart and soul of this town," added resident Nancy Nolan.

The borough council awarded a $30,000 contract Wednesday night to remove the remnants of the old boardwalk that was splintered, twisted and shattered by the Oct. 29 storm.

The new boardwalk, like the old one, will be made of synthetic planks, with sturdy tie-down straps anchoring them to the foundation.

The first phase of the work, covering part of the ¾-mile long walkway, should be done by May 6, with the remainder finished by June 23.

All told, Sea Girt expects to have spent about $2.5 million on cleanup and rebuilding costs from the storm. That included removing downed trees, overtime pay for police and public works crews, and hiring a contractor to hurriedly rebuild dunes before a nor'easter hit a week later.

Sea Girt's work is the latest in a growing number of boardwalk reconstruction projects springing to life at the Jersey shore less than four months before the start of the summer tourism season. Higher-profile boardwalks like Seaside Heights and Belmar have started rebuilding already; Belmar's construction crew has driven support pilings deep into the sand on over half of its 1.3-mile beach, spurred no doubt by the possibility of a $100,000 bonus if they finish the job early.