Posted on September 5, 2023
CAPE CHARLES, Va. (WAVY) – Starting Sept. 11, part of Cape Charles public beach will close to begin work on a replenishment project.
The town’s beach requires sand after experiencing significant annual erosion. The Kings Creek Channel Dredging Project has been in a planning stage for several years, and now will begin replenishment work.
Work will begin on the north end of the beach and continue south over the next few months. Sand and water will be pumped through a pipeline onto the beach. To move the sand on the beach from the pipeline, workers will use heavy equipment, a bulldozer and excavator.
Partial closures will begin on Monday, Sept. 11 from the north end of the beach to the Madison Avenue entrance. Dredge materials will first be brought to the beach and spread along the beachfront. Actual dredge work is set to begin a week or two after that.
The project is expected to take until the end of November to be completed. For safety, no one will be allowed on the beach where work is taking place. Southern portions of the beach will remain open until the dredging makes its way down.
The dredging project is made possible through the Virginia Waterway Maintenance Fund, established by the Virginia General Assembly. The dredging project is a beneficiary of the Virginia Waterway Maintenance Grant Fund. The Virginia Port Authority administers the grant.
According to a press release, the pace of work remains unknown, as well as timeline of work reaching the southern portions of the beach. In order to provide timely notices to the public, the Town will continue to meet weekly with the contractor to coordinate project activity.
