Posted on October 8, 2025
A popular beach on Galveston’s West End will be closed for the remainder of 2025 for a major environmental project that, when completed, will restore nearly two miles of coastline to the island.
As of Monday, officials have closed down Hershey Beach in preparation for the project, a collaboration between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Texas General Land Office, City of Galveston and Galveston Park Board of Trustees. The Corps’ Galveston District will oversee the project, which will be carried out by the Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company.
According to the Corps, Galveston’s coastline is eroding at a rate of roughly 6.86 feet per year. While barricades, fencing, and signage sealing off the area go up, equipment will be mobilized and pipeline will be installed, per the city. Sand placement will begin in late October.
The project was initially announced in July. At the time, Galveston City Manager Brian Maxwell called it essential to protect the island’s “shoreline, homes and infrastructure,” according to a Corps news release.
By collaborating with the city’s partners, “we’re turning what would have been discarded dredge material into a meaningful investment in our future,” Maxwell added.
Officially known as the CAP 204 West Galveston Beach Nourishment Project—CAP standing for Continuing Authorities Program—the project will deposit roughly 717,000 cubic yards of new sand from the Galveston Ship Channel along a 1.8-mile stretch of West End beachfront from Sunbather Lane to 11 Mile Road.
That’s enough sand to fill about half of the Empire State Building, or one-eighth of the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. To compensate for the Hershey Beach closure, the city has opened 300 feet of beach at Pocket Park 3, located near Sea Shell Beach and 11 Mile Road—essentially the other side of the reconstruction zone—to vehicle traffic.
