Posted on June 8, 2026
PHILADELPHIA (June 5, 2026) – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Philadelphia District has awarded a $15.8 million contract to Norfolk Dredging Company to conduct periodic nourishment of the Townsends Inlet to Cape May Inlet (Avalon & Stone Harbor) dune and beachfill project. The project is a joint effort between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, and the boroughs of Avalon and Stone Harbor.
The contract calls for dredging sand from the Townsends Inlet and Hereford Inlet borrow sites. Sand is then pumped through a series of pipes, placed on beaches, and graded into an engineered dune and berm template, which is designed to reduce damage from coastal storm events. Dunes and access paths will be repaired in certain areas; however, most of the work includes widening the beach between the toe of the dune and the water line. The contract includes the following work:
- Avalon: Approximately 941,032 cubic yards of sand will be placed from 9th Street to 28th Streets.
- Stone Harbor: Approximately 538,867 cubic yards of sand will be placed in two areas – from 98th to 114th Streets and from 120th to the terminal groin (*note – additional areas in Stone Harbor outside of these areas may receive sand placement based on pre-construction surveys)
Norfolk Dredging Company is expected to begin dredging and beachfill operations in the summer of 2026 after completing work on a separate project in Sea Isle City/Strathmere, N.J.
USACE will work with the contractor, the NJDEP, and the boroughs of Avalon and Stone Harbor to share information on the sequence of work and schedule in the coming weeks.
