- The Charleston District awarded a contract to Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company to place two million cubic yards of material on North Myrtle Beach, Myrtle Beach, and Surfside/Garden City, equivalent to 200,000 dump trucks, along 26 miles of coastline. The renourishment is funded entirely by the Corps of Engineers and will cost $72 million. The project will help reduce the risk to life and infrastructure behind the dunes along the Grand Strand.

A project tracker is located on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Charleston Districts website which will be updated daily to show the exact locations where the work in occurring, and the beach is closed due to that work. Keep in mind the project moves quickly so a particular area is not closed for more than a few days at a time. Project updates are also available on the Charleston District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Facebook page @CharlestonCorps, Instagram @CharlestonCorps, and on X @CharlestonCorps.

- Link to tracker: https://cesac.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=5c20349ed99d42febd9e49bd2f270c99

The project is expected to begin in the spring of 2025 taking approximately 18 months. Weather and equipment can impact the schedule. Further information on the construction timeline will be released once the contractors work plan is finalized and a mobilization date had been coordinated.

Following Hurricanes Debby and Ian, North Myrtle Beach, Myrtle Beach, and Surfside/Garden City requested a post storm damage assessment of the beach. The assessment concluded that a renourishment was necessary, and funding was appropriated.

The Corps, in conjunction with Horry County, will conduct migratory shorebird and sea turtle monitoring daily and relocate sea turtle nests if necessary. If there are any sea turtle nests in the construction area, they will be monitored and protected until the hatchlings have emerged from the nest. After daily environmental species monitoring and sea turtle nest relocations have been completed, beach work will commence. However, construction operations in the area will cease if sea turtles are present at any time.

For the safety of the public, the section of the beach being worked on, and the access area associated with that section be closed during the active construction. The contractor will work in 1000 feet wide sections at a time. Only the sections where the contractor is actively working will be closed to the public. Most of the beach will remain open as usual.

The contract awarded was for $72,000,000.00 and the project is 100% federally funded through emergency authorization.

This project will renourish the eroded shoreline along 26 miles of the Grand Strand which includes Surfside/Garden City, Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach.

The project provides coastal storm risk management, including beach erosion control and hurricane surge protection. Beach renourishment projects reduce the risks of storm damage to life and infrastructure behind the dunes, preserve wildlife, support the economy, and build coastal resiliency.

The contractor will work seven days a week 24 hours a day. Contractor will not work on approved holidays or during inclement weather.

The cost of beach renourishment projects regionally has increased significantly due to rising equipment cost and regional demand. Hopper dredges, essential for sourcing and placing sand, have become particularly expensive, adding strain to restoration efforts.