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Administrator Shirley: five pier test piles pass; timber piling starts
Summary
At the Long Branch City workshop July 22, Administrator Shirley said five test piles for the pier project passed inspection and timber piles will begin immediately as the contractor builds a temporary trestle; final schedule depends on rock conditions and permit logistics.
Administrator Shirley told the Long Branch City Council workshop on July 22 that five test piles driven over the past 10 days "every single one of them passed," clearing a key technical hurdle and allowing the contractor to begin timber pile work immediately.
Shirley said the contractor chose a temporary trestle approach rather than a coffer dam, and that crews will first drive wood piles on the land side while building the trestle so concrete piles can be installed when they arrive. "They're actually gonna build a trestle that goes out, and then they slowly drive the machine down and then build next to it as they do it," she said.
She warned, however, that daily pile-driving output will depend on subsurface conditions. "Because, true, we can drive 0 a day until we get through the rocks," Shirley said, adding that she will provide a clearer schedule once the first rows are completed.
Council members asked how means and methods (coffer dams versus trestles) would affect production and whether the contractor could limit local traffic disruption. Shirley said equipment staging has been constrained by oversize-permit restrictions for freight crossing state lines—heavy components coming from New York cannot cross into New Jersey before 10 a.m., which has cost setup days.
Shirley said crews are expected to begin visible land-side timber pile work by Monday and that the city will circulate a timeline once county-level permitting and staging are underway. The workshop continued with additional agenda items; the council later closed public comment and adopted a resolution to move into executive session.
