The first pieces of equipment for this year’s beach renourishment project along Nags Head have already arrived, and plans are for sand pumping to start in just a couple of weeks.
The town announced Monday that equipment is being already staged at the Forest Street and Juncos Street public beach accesses.
Great Lakes Dredge and Dock, the contractor for the $42.7 million project, has installed the submerged pipe through which sand is pumped from a dredge offshore, known as a sub-line, just south of Limulus Street and just north of Pelican Street in South Nags Head, near milepost 20.5.
Sand pumping is currently expected to start there on May 1, and proceed south towards the southern project terminus at the line between the town and Cape Hatteras National Seashore near milepost 21.
Once that area is finished, work will head north from the sub-line near Pelican Street towards Outer Banks Pier and then Jennette’s Pier.
Great Lakes is also working to install another sub-line between Conch Street and Hollowell Street near milepost 11.5 on the northern end of town, with plans to start work there on May 7.
Crews will first head north to milepost 11 and the Bonnett Street access, then head back south from the sub-line near Conch Street.
Map of the project area
The project will place four million cubic yards of sand along a 10-mile stretch. The Federal Emergency Management Agency is paying $16 million of the cost.
Nags Head and Dare County are splitting the rest of the cost through bonds that will be paid back from special property tax levies in the town and funds designated from the occupancy tax collected on hotel rooms and vacation rentals.
Great Lakes has been the contractor for nourishment projects along Nags Head in 2011, and from Duck to Kill Devil Hills in 2017. The company is just wrapping up a beach widening project along Emerald Isle, Salter Path and Indian Beach on the central North Carolina coast.
Beach nourishment projects along the Outer Banks are conducted during the spring and summer months to avoid more dangerous sea conditions during the fall and winter.
The current 90-to-120 day timeline has the project fully completed by October, barring equipment and weather delays.
Detailed updates from Dare County on beach nourishment can be found at MoreBeachToLove.com
