Posted on August 19, 2026
Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company has announced that the second dredge scheduled to assist with the Buxton beach nourishment project, the Amelia Island, is now expected to arrive in Dare County on Friday, Aug. 21.
The dredge Liberty Island, which has been pumping sand since the Buxton project got underway on Friday, July 31, left the project area on Tuesday, Aug. 18, for fueling and its annual U.S. Coast Guard inspection in Norfolk, Virginia.
The Liberty Island is expected to return to the project area on Thursday, Aug. 20, and resume pumping operations. The Amelia Island will join the Liberty Island shortly thereafter to support continued beach nourishment work.
With two dredges operating as planned, the project remains on schedule for completion by Sept. 30, according to the latest project update.
Approximately 2 million cubic yards of sand will be placed along roughly 2.9 miles of Buxton’s oceanfront, from the Haulover Day Use Area southward to just south of the Buxton Beach Access. The project is expected to take approximately 95 days to complete, although the schedule remains dependent on weather and ocean conditions.
The project is the latest large-scale beach nourishment effort in Buxton, where Dare County has used periodic sand placement to widen the beach and provide additional protection for N.C. Highway 12. The last major nourishment project in Buxton was completed in 2022.
Residents and visitors can follow the progress of the project through the 2026 Buxton beach nourishment construction map.
At the same time, work is also underway nearby on Dare County’s project to repair the southernmost groin near the former Cape Hatteras Lighthouse site.
The groin repair project began in early August, and the Cape Hatteras National Seashore implemented a temporary safety closure around the construction area beginning Aug. 3. The closure includes 300 feet of beach north and south of the groin, as well as the adjacent ocean area. Swimmers, surfers, and other beachgoers are asked to remain at least 300 feet from the construction area. The Old Lighthouse Beach lifeguarded area and associated parking lot remain open.
The structure is one of three groins constructed by the U.S. Navy around 1970 in response to shoreline erosion near the former Naval Facility Cape Hatteras and the former location of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. The two northern groins are now submerged on most days, while the southernmost groin remains visible but has significantly deteriorated over the decades.
Dare County’s repair is intended to improve the groin’s ability to trap sand and help maintain beach width on its north side, providing additional shoreline protection for N.C. Highway 12 in Buxton. The groin work was planned in conjunction with the 2026 beach nourishment project.
For more information about the beach nourishment project, including frequently asked questions and construction updates, visit MoreBeachToLove.com.
