Belmar's 10th Ave. Boardwalk Nears Completion

Those who have passed the Belmar boardwalk recently likely noticed construction on the boards near the 10th Avenue beach entrance.

That construction is nearing completion, Mayor Matt Doherty said last week in a release.

These boards, which were wooden until several weeks ago, have been replaced with a smooth "Trex" surface.

Trex, according to Doherty, is "a composite material made of wood and plastic fibers," and is the material that comprises much of the rest of the boardwalk.

This way boardwalk customers will be able to walk the entire length of our walkway and not get a wooden splinter, Doherty said.

Doherty added that Belmar's Department of Public Works will find maintenance and cleaning of the new boardwalk easier.

The boardwalk replacement project was approved by mayor and council last year, and was done in-house, using borough employee labor rather than an outside contractor, Borough Administrator Bill Young said.

Doherty said that the borough workforce "knows the ins and outs of the structure," and estimtated the cost of the 10th Avenue replacement project was $423,000.

Hiring an outside contractor might have cost an additional $103,000 to that figure, Doherty said.

"It's innovative solutions like this that keep Belmar ahead of the curve and saves our taxpayers money," Doherty said.

Another stretch of boardwalk set to be replaced will be at Fifth Avenue, near the pavilion, Young said.