Posted on April 17, 2024
Cape Lookout has gotten a facelift and now there is a lot more beach in front of the lighthouse for people to enjoy.
This comes after a years-long plan to preserve the historic site.
Dredging has been done and there is about 100 yards of sand and beach in front of the lighthouse.
The Director of the Save Cape Lookout Foundation, Joni Dennis, said the battle is far from over.
“There’s barely any space between the ocean and sand dune. During the highest tides, the summer kitchen looks like it’s about to fall in,” Dennis said.
The lighthouse is not only historic but it’s also a working navigation aid.
Dennis said there hasn’t been such an extensive dredging project to restore the beach since the 1980s.
“That’s 44 years. The dredging has been postponed for several years and they’re finishing up and spreading all the sand out. We’re really happy with it,” Dennis said.
The total cost of the dredging project is nearly $6.9 million and while the beach is finished, there are still a few more things to do.
“They still have to finish the S-curve and the drain which makes the channel more navigable to get to Cape Lookout,” Dennis said. “That’s been a big issue for the boats, the ferries, the pleasure boats, all of the commercial boats. I mean, it’s been a huge ordeal for them to get here.”
