Posted on May 4, 2026
By Vince Conti
The Army Corps of Engineers Philadelphia District has awarded a $21.6 million contract to Norfolk Dredging of Chesapeake, Va. for dune and beach fill work in Strathmere and Sea Isle City.
Construction is to begin in early June in the Sea Isle area after equipment is mobilized. Strathmere’s project will begin after Sea Isle City’s is completed. The Army Corps has posted additional contract solicitations for separate projects in North Ocean City and the Avalon and Stone Harbor beaches on 7 Mile Island.
According to an Army Corps release, the contract calls for dredging, pumping, and the placement of approximately 1.86 million cubic yards of sand from two borrow areas.
1.38 million cubic yards of sand will be deposited north of Seaview Ave in Strathmere, stretching to the Landis/Commonwealth intersection. In Sea Isle City, another 479,000 cubic yards of sand will be deposited between 29th and 30th streets, stretching between 54th and 55th streets.
The sand is coming from two locations, one off Corsons Inlet and the other roughly 3 miles offshore of Sea Isle City.
Once on the beach, the sand will be graded into an engineered dune-and-berm template designed to reduce damage from coastal storms. Dune crossovers and access points to beaches will be installed as part of the contract, along with fencing and other features.
The project is an effort of the Army Corps’ Philadelphia District, the NJ Department of Environmental Protection, and local municipalities. The work will require a cost-share process: 50% federal and 50% non-federal. A cost-sharing deal between the state and the municipalities will govern how the non-federal portion is split. The specifics of the split are unknown at this time.
Cape May County beaches were hit hard by a series of storms in 2025, including Hurricane Erin in August and a Nor’easter in October. Issues with federal funding in Washington also led to a lack of funding for 2025 beach nourishment projects already scheduled. This created a crisis for many beach communities as property was exposed to flooding and damage. The damage meant smaller beaches ahead of the 2026 summer season, which begins in a few short weeks.
