Posted on November 18, 2025
The city’s shoreline will be rebuilt this winter, restoring eroded areas and adding extra sand to the southern end for stronger protection.
Delray Beach is preparing to begin a multimillion-dollar beach renourishment project this winter in an effort to rebuild a shoreline that has been steadily narrowed by storms and rising seas.
The work, led by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, will bring in large volumes of new sand to restore the beach to its full width. City officials said construction was expected to start soon after a groundbreaking ceremony in mid-December and would be substantially finished before the start of sea turtle nesting season on March 1.
The project was awarded to Great Lakes Dredge & Dock, the same contractor that handled the city’s storm-repair work in 2020.
According to the city’s public works director, Missie Barletto, crews will place sand along the southern end of the beach and then taper it northward in order to reinforce the areas that have experienced the worst erosion. She said the shoreline had been battered in recent months but remained on track for restoration during the 2025-26 winter season.
Funding for the effort comes from several sources, including the federal government, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Palm Beach County and the city. Federal dollars are being provided through the Fiscal 2025 Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act.
