Posted on May 4, 2026
Workers will channel tons of sand onto several New Jersey beaches harmed by intense erosion, but not before the summer crowds descend on them.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers awarded a $21.6 million contract to a Virginia-based dredging company to pump sand onto beaches in Sea Isle City and Strathmere, in one of several expedited projects to address substantial erosion.
Beach replenishment won’t begin until early June.
Until then, Upper Township officials will repair beach pathways in Strathmere— an island across from Corson’s Inlet State Park in Ocean City — that were destroyed during coastal storms.
Workers will rebuild the access points starting at Whittier Avenue and move south, with the goal of repairing them before Memorial Day, Mayor Curtis Corson said. The focus is the island’s northern tip, which suffered the worst erosion this year.
“Almost every path is closed right now,” Corson said during a township committee meeting on Monday. “Some of the paths have beach in front of them (that) we will be able to open.
Corson did not respond to a request for comment Friday.
Strathmere isn’t expected to see a substantially restored shoreline until late June after the contractor first unloads 479,000 cubic yards of sand in Sea Isle City, the Army Corps said.
In Sea Isle City, beaches between 29th and 54th streets will be replenished, the Army Corps said.
Sea Isle City Mayor Leonard Desiderio didn’t return a request for comment.
Both projects end months of uncertainty in Cape May County that began after Hurricane Erin passed along New Jersey’s coast. Erosion only worsened during two strong coastal storms in October and a powerful blizzard in February.
Officials in many towns urged state officials to help and prodded federal lawmakers for funding.
The Army Corps said it is fast-tracking the work through reforms that reduce regulatory requirements in project planning.
The project that spans Strathmere and Sea Isle City is among several in Cape May County that collectively received $99 million in congressional funding. Until last year, Congress routinely approved funding for beach replenishment, but a Republican-led push for deeper spending cuts caused a lapse in funding.
The spending cut forced officials to delay projects in Sea Isle City and Strathmere and to cancel projects planned in Ocean City, Stone Harbor and Avalon.
The Army Corps’ Philadelphia office said it plans to quickly hire a contractor to complete the stalled project for Ocean City, Avalon and Stone Harbor.
In February, U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew, who represents Cape May County, toured the area’s beaches with Adam Telle, assistant secretary of the U.S. Army’s Civil Works Division. During the visit, both hinted at funding while promising intensive beach repair effort ahead of the warmer months.
The federal government conventionally funds the majority of beach nourishment, providing 65% of a project’s cost, followed by the state at 35%. New Jersey continues to spend more on beach repair projects, including $50 million from its budget for the Shore Protection Fund.
