Council Awards Bids For Long Branch Boardwalk Improvement Project

The city has awarded two bids for improvements to the Long Branch boardwalk.

A $329,348 bid was awarded to Fiore Paving Company for street improvements near the boardwalk and a $471,785 bid was awarded to Maturano Recreation Company Inc. to replace the boardwalk railings.

The Long Branch Council adopted a $950,000 bond ordinance last December for improvements to the boardwalk between Morris Avenue and Brighton Avenue.

The appropriations included a $421,000 grant from Green Acres for the project and a $421,000 loan from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). The DEP loan is zero interest and is repayable over 20 years according to Long Branch Chief Financial Officer Ron Mehlhorn.

The city received the new bids for the project last week after last month that were deemed to expensive. The boardwalk project was originally going to start last spring, but because of the high bids, it could not get started.

The boardwalk repairs would take the project just south of the third phase of Pier Village which was recently approved by the council.

Pier Village Phase 3 will also include widening and improving the boardwalk from Melrose Terrace to Morris Avenue.