Posted on May 25, 2017
A $34.5 million project to widen seven miles of Norfolk beachfront is completed.
Under the direction of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, contractors with the Great Lakes Dredging and Dock Company worked around the clock to dredge 1.2 million cubic yards of sand and pump it onto the stretch of waterfront in the city’s East Ocean View, Ocean View and Willoughby Spit neighborhoods.
The result leaves Norfolk with a beach that is higher and 60 feet wider, which improves coastal storm protection and provides more recreational area, the city said in a news release May 19. Done in about 12 weeks, the work was the largest single storm damage reduction project in Norfolk.
Robert Pretlow, Norfolk District project manager for the corps, said construction went smoothly.
“The project is wrapping up on time and on budget, and now this area of Norfolk is more resilient against damage from wave energy during coastal storms.” Pretlow stated.
The beach is expected to have to be nourished about every seven to nine years as part of the project lifespan. The city will continue to monitor the area to determine if the maintenance schedule needs adjustment due to sand loss from storms.
“As a resilient city, we’re always looking at our coast and how Mother Nature and water impacts us,” said Norfolk City Councilman Tommy Smigiel, who represents the Ward 5 neighborhoods where the beach replenishment project was completed.
“We know that for the protection of the homes and investment in Ocean View that beach nourishment is an important project but it is also about celebrating the fact that we have seven miles of beach and that people are enjoying it. This project covers both of these important city priorities,” Smigel said.
Source: Inside Business
