US Army Corp of Engineers Wants to Build Seawall Between Throggs Neck and Queens to Prevent Next Sandy

It’s been almost six years since Hurricane Sandy slammed into NYC and many coastal communities throughout NYC and The Bronx are still recovering from its devastating impact.

Now the US Army Corp of Engineers is proposing to build a massive 5 mile seawall stretching from NYC to New Jersey including a smaller one between Throggs Neck and Queens to protect from storm surges.

These proposals are a result of a $19 million study and although no estimate has bee been determined, a previous study i. The 2013 indicated a price tag of $25 billion for a similar proposal.

NJ.com reports:

1: A 5-mile long harbor barrier

The first of the Army Corps’ proposals is the simplest. It consists of building a five-mile long storm barrier across the entrance to outer New York harbor, from Sandy Hook to Breezy Point.

That massive barrier, essentially a gate, would be supplemented by a levee and berm system from Sandy Hook to Long Branch, and a similar system from Breezy Point to Far Rockaway on the New York side.

A smaller barrier and levee system would be built at Throgs Neck between The Bronx and Queens, where Long Island Sound flows to the East River.

Click here for maps of all proposals.

2: Five inner harbor gates

The Army Corps’ second proposal ditches the massive outer harbor barrier for smaller storm barriers in the inner harbor.

The Throgs Neck barrier and levee system would still be built. Barriers would also be built on:

• The Arthur Kill between Perth Amboy and Staten Island
• The Narrows between Staten Island and Brooklyn, that would be placed just behind the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge.
• Jamaica Bay between Brooklyn and Queens, with an extensive levee supplement
• Pelham Bay in The Bronx.

Many environmental groups, however, would prefer nothing is done at all on such a scale as they believe it is simply destined to fail.

Instead they propose more natural resiliency efforts.

Head over to NJ.com for the full story.

Ed García Conde

Ed García Conde is a life-long Bronxite who spends his time documenting the people, places, and things that make the borough a special place in the hopes of dispelling the negative stereotypes associated with The Bronx. His writings are often cited by mainstream media and is often consulted for his expertise on the borough's rich history.