NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WBTW) – North Myrtle Beach leaders say a $10.6 million beach renourishment project is scheduled to begin next week.
City officials say weather and mechanical factors permitting, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Emergency Beach Renourishment Project is scheduled to begin the week of October 2 in North Myrtle Beach.
Similar to the operation that was performed in Surfside Beach in early September, sand will be dredged from offshore and distributed along the shoreline where there’s not enough protection from high waves and potential flooding.
The contractor, Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company, will work 24 hours a day, seven days a week during construction, city officials confirm. Workers are expected to complete about 500 feet per day if the weather cooperates and there are no mechanical issues.
The project will start near 28th Avenue North, with pipelines coming onto the beach north of Cherry Grove and Atlantic Beach. The beach access at 18th Avenue North will be used for equipment storage.
Work will initially move to the north with two dredges being used offshore.
The renourishment project was designed and paid for by the USACE, with the goal of protecting homes, businesses, and other structures from storm surge and high tide.
Once the Corps’ emergency renourishment project has concluded toward the end of October or early November, the city will contract to have about 50,000 cubic yards of sand delivered to the beach to help reestablish dunes in sections where they were eliminated or severely eroded during Hurricane Matthew. The city will pay for this project, estimated at about $1 million, city officials confirm.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has established a mapping website that people may use to keep up with the daily status of its renourishment project.
