By David Madden

AVALON, N.J. (CBS) — A beach replenishment project in two South Jersey shore towns is being expanded, to deal with damage from not one but two storms.

Federal officials had already approved work in Stone Harbor and Avalon to repair beaches damaged by Tropical Storm Irene even before Hurricane Sandy came calling (see related story).

So the US Army Corps of Engineers was asked to approve a new contract to make repairs from both storms.

“Rather than wait for FEMA damage assessments to come in, the Corps negotiated the lost amount of sand at this time because they know the dredge is going to be here and it wouldn’t be that easy to mobilize next spring to come back,” says Avalon mayor Marty Pagliughi.

The work will begin this weekend and should be completed by spring. The additions could as much as $3 million to the already $4½-million project, but Uncle Sam is footing the bill for it all.