Posted on June 8, 2026
Several Jersey Shore beaches hit hardest by recent coastal storms — including some that remain closed — are set to be rebuilt before summer ends.
In recent weeks, federal officials finalized beach replenishment projects in Ocean City, Avalon, Stone Harbor, Sea Isle City and Strathmere.
The push accelerated this week when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers signed two contracts worth about $35.3 million to rebuild beaches in Ocean City, Avalon and Stone Harbor.
The plans call for contractors to transport sand through pipelines from an area offshore, the Army Corps’ Philadelphia office said.
Sea Isle City and Strathmere together will receive a total of 1.86 million cubic yards of sand.
Strathmere’s need has been especially urgent, with township officials saying its beaches are among the most heavily damaged on the shore.
Several beaches north of Whittier Avenue remain closed until new sand arrives, Mayor Curtis Corson said.
The most alarming effect of erosion in Strathmere was the loss of the town’s lifeguard stand, which officials demolished after it became at risk of collapsing.
About a month after fresh sand is placed in Sea Isle and Strathmere, workers will spread about 1.6 million cubic yards of sand across Ocean City in July.
The Army Corps did not say when work in Avalon and Stone Harbor would begin.
The agency has been working to speed up beach replenishment in Cape May County under a previously approved $99-million project.
The projects ended months of uncertainty that had begun in Cape May County after Hurricane Erin tracked along New Jersey’s coast. Erosion only worsened during two strong coastal storms in October and a powerful blizzard in February.
Beach replenishment across the state had been delayed by broad congressional spending cuts during Donald Trump’s administration.
In February, U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew, who represents Cape May County, toured area beaches with Adam Telle, assistant secretary of the U.S. Army’s Civil Works Division. During the visit, both officials promised a beach repair blitz and hoped the work could begin before summer.
The federal government funds the majority of beach nourishment projects, providing 65% of each project’s cost, with the state covering the remaining 35%.
New Jersey continues to spend more on beach repair projects, including $50 million from its budget for the Shore Protection Fund.
