Rockaway Residents Upset By Labor Day Weekend Beach Closures
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The summer is ending a little early for some beachgoers in the Rockaways.
About a mile of the beach will be closed Labor Day weekend for dredging by the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, WCBS 880's Marla Diamond reported.
The closures will take place on stretches from Beach 110th Street to Beach 130th Street and Beach 88th Street to Beach 93rd Street.
More: Massive Replenishment Project To Begin Along Rockaway Beach
Many residents are frustrated, claiming there was little notice of the work being done over the holiday weekend.
On 120th Street, resident Beth Hanning had an annual beach party planned, along with food and supplies ordered.
Rockaway Residents Upset By Labor Day Weekend Beach Closures
"We don't have a Plan B," Hanning said. "We've had this beach party for years and years. We're just so upset that we don't even know what we're going to do."
The Parks Department said beach access will be available on Beach 115th Street.
Chris Gardner, spokesman for U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, said the work is part of an ongoing project to repair the damage done by superstorm Sandy.
"Hurricane Sandy took about 1.5 million cubic yards of sand from Rockaway Beach, and what we're doing is actually putting back about 3.5 million cubic yards of sand," he told 1010 WINS.
Even though a significant part of the beach will remain closed, Gardner points out that they've just reopened another stretch of beach which hasn't been open since superstorm Sandy.
"We've reopened sections from about Beach 94th to 109th, that was actually never opened at all this year," he said.
Meanwhile, at least one Rockaway resident said the dredging is inconvenient, but necessary.
"To protect the beach, to protect what used to be the boardwalk, it has to be done," said Christopher Steel.
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