Posted on February 20, 2020
After a long wait, Sandbridge Beach will finally get its share of storm protection.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Norfolk District, will begin mobilizing equipment soon at Little Island Park to replenish the beach with sand.
The 5-mile project area will stretch from the Dam Neck Fleet Training Center to Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge.
Sandbridge was supposed to receive an infusion of sand last year, but the Oceanfront leapfrogged ahead of it. The Corps said that was because of schedule delays from a government shutdown and the need to complete the resort area before hurricane season.
Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Co. will widen the beach up to 90 feet and raise it to six feet. The sand will come from the Sandbridge Shoal, a site about 3 to 5 miles offshore that’s managed by the Bureau of Ocean and Energy Management.
The project will continue through May.
The $20.3 million project is footed by Sandbridge property owners who pay six cents more than the regular real estate rate for sand restoration. It’s an ongoing process. The beach was replenished in 2003, 2007 and 2013.
Beachgoers can expect some inconveniences during the project with sections of the beach closed and marked off with orange construction fences.
“With dredging projects, there are some obstacles to work around.” Andie J. Allmond, spokeswoman for the Army Corps. “We want them to keep in mind the big picture.”
Source: fredericksburg.com
