Excitement Builds For The Long Branch Pier

Engineers were down at the shore early Monday morning boring for soil samples as the first stage of engineering design begins on the Long Branch Pier. This comes on the heels of the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) awarding Long Branch an additional $5 Million to help fund the project.

On Wednesday, June 12th, the Long Branch Council approved use of $5 Million in Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Funds (CSFRF) for the Long Branch Municipal Operations Program. These funds are in addition to a $3.25 million grant received from the state Boardwalk Preservation Fund awarded in February of this year which will all go towards the Pier.

“So much of Long Branch’s history is entwined in the former pier, so we are grateful to Governor Murphy for the state funding to help finance this historic project,” stated Mayor John Pallone. “We know how iconic the pier is and how important it will be for all of our residents, visitors and future generations to enjoy.”

Long Branch was home to the first fishing pier along the Atlantic Ocean, when it opened in June 1879. For 100 years the pier stood until it was tragically lost in a fire in 1987. The pier ran along the right of way that exists next to Laird Street beach, and the new pier will stand in the same location, perpendicular to the boardwalk at Pier Village.

Resurrection of the pier is part of ongoing efforts by the Pallone Administration to restore and recapture its history. The pier will once again be a prized destination for people of all ages, with beautiful views, smooth surface for exercise, and access to deeper depths for fishing. The pier will be open year-round for all to enjoy.

Serving as a model for accessibility, the boardwalk extension will provide a fully ADA-accessible fishing area. The pier joins many other fully accessible points to the water in Long Branch including fully accessible beaches and the ADA compliant community pool.

The pilings and rocks from the pier will benefit the local eco-system, offering for oysters, barnacles, and small marine plants a place to live. These organisms provide food for larger game fish and, thus, larger fish. The pier will not serve as ferry terminal or have any other transportation component. It is solely being built as an ADA fully accessible pedestrian and fishing pier.

Resilience will be key, as the Jersey Shore can be relentless, so the pier will be designed utilizing wood and concrete, designed with a wider area at the end out on the water. Construction of the Long Branch Pier is set to begin in less than a year, with the entire project to be complete no later than December 31st 2026.

“We are thrilled to begin the design phase on this long-awaited project, “Council President Bill Dangler said. “We have had so much interest and excitement from residents and we can’t wait to bring back the beloved Long Branch pier.”

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The City of Long Branch is located in Monmouth County, New Jersey.  Learn more at www.longbranch.org.

If you would like more information, please contact Lindsay DeAngelis at 732-571-5645 or ldeangelis@longbranch.org.