Portions of North Myrtle Beach will be closed in May for beach renourishment project

Portions of North Myrtle Beach will be closed in two weeks as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers begins their month-long beach renourishment project.

The $12 million project will see approximately 280,000 cubic yards of sand placed along roughly 2.7 miles on North Myrtle Beach from 22nd Avenue North to 54th Avenue North and Ocean Creek Drive to 43rd Avenue South, according to a news release from the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers.

Contractor Great Lakes Dredge and Dock will start construction on May 13 and will transition to Garden City upon completion. Work is expected to last 30 to 45 days, running through Memorial Day weekend, with the contractor completing up to 500 feet per day, barring any mechanical or weather delays.

The first section of the project will access the beach from Sea Mountain Highway. Great Lakes Dredge and Dock will set up a crane on the beach on May 6 to assemble machinery that will measure the grade of the beach prior to and after nourishment.

“The storm damage reduction project aims to minimize the impacts of people and property behind the dunes in a storm event,” project manager Wes Wilson said. “While we acknowledge that people may see temporary inconveniences while the project is underway, the project has many long-term benefits, especially during storm season.”

Beach renourishment is an effort to replace sand along the shore that was lost during Hurricane Irma in 2017 and Hurricane Florence last year. City spokesperson Pat Dowling said the Corps was expected to complete the federally funded project last December but experienced delays.

“We’re very thankful for this project and looking forward to a renourished beach,” Dowling said. “People want to enjoy the beach and safety matters.”

Beach renourishment is the ideal time for the public to find shells on the beach, Dowling added.

According to the news release, construction will only take place in front of any particular building or area for up to three days. The public is advised to stay away from all pipelines and to use specified sand ramps to cross any pipelines near areas fenced off for construction. However, during active construction, the vast majority of the beach will remain open and available for the public to enjoy, Dowling said.

Additionally, the contractor will comply with the requirements of the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammals Protection Act with construction taking place during sea turtle nesting season, the release states.

Residents can track the project’s progression in real-time.

_{Source: myrtlebeachonline.com}