Sections of Ocean City beaches remain closed for multi-million dollar beach replenishment project

Sections of Ocean City's beach continue to be temporarily shut down during the busy summer season as crews work to replenish sand in the city's northern end.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is overseeing the $19.5 million effort to build the beach back up between 16th Street and Seaview Road in order to protect nearby structures from flooding during future storms.

"We've seen that these projects are effective in many different storm events," Steve Rochette, of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, said. "During [Superstorm] Sandy, we had areas with [beach replenishment] projects and areas without projects, and the benefits and differences were clear."

Tim Eaton's family visited Ocean City for the first time in three years, and they were stunned by the size of some of the area's beaches.

"We're a little bit shocked to see how little sand there was down to the ocean," Eaton said.

In the last year, frequent storms have accelerated erosion as the ocean pulls sand away from Ocean City to other beaches further south.

While the project will make the beaches bigger, it requires crews to maintain a rolling 1,000-foot closure of the beach in order to safely give crews space to work.

Besides the work site, beachgoers also have to navigate around sections of a 5,000-foot pipe that's pumping in sand from an offshore barge that's dredging the Great Egg Harbor Inlet.

Despite the obstacles, sisters Kay Nell and Nadine Hughes praised the crews' progress.

"These beaches here that are finished are very wide," Nell said.

Hughes added, "They're wonderful! They did a great job!"

While the Atlantic Ocean will still, more than likely, wash away the new sand, Rochette said replenishment remains a relatively cheaper option to protect communities from storm surge.

"There's just a vast amount of infrastructure that remains vulnerable," Rochette said. "So, having these projects and building them has proven to be probably the most cost-effective way to manage the risk in these coastal communities."

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said Ocean City's beach replenishment is still on track to be completed in September.

Crews are also completing a beach replenishment project in Strathmere. After both projects are finished, crews will begin working in Avalon and Stone Harbor.