CHARLESTON -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Charleston District, started the final phase of its Grand Strand Renourishment project in the South Carolina coast area on July 3.
The critical coastal protection work in Surfside Beach and Garden City, South Carolina, is estimated to be complete by the end of August.
To minimize community impacts during the construction activity, the USACE contractor, Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Co., is working in sections. Crews will start at a central point and move north before returning to the starting point and moving south. The estimated timeline for the upcoming segments is as follows:
Section 1 (Station Lines 213+00-175+00): The contractor will begin around Holiday Drive and proceed south to Holly Drive.
Section 2 (Station Lines 213+00-275+00): Following the completion of section one, work will proceed north to 12th Ave. S. Both of these initial sections are expected to be completed by mid-July.
Section 3: The contractor will relocate to a new pipeline before continuing south from 5th Ave. N to 12th Ave S (Station Lines 335+00-275+00). Once complete, work will begin around 5th Ave. N and proceed north to the southern end of the Myrtle Beach State Park (Station Lines 335+00-498+00). This work is expected to finish in mid-August.
Section 4 (Station Lines 175+00-95+00): The final segment, running from Holly Ave. to the southern end of the project at public beach access point No. 27, is scheduled from the middle of August through mid-to-late August. Final grading and finishing work will be completed once the placement is complete.
The schedule is subject to weather conditions and equipment availability.
An online construction tracker is available on the Charleston District website at https://arcg.is/1bbrfr3.
The primary purpose of this renourishment is to build a wider, higher beach and dune system capable of absorbing storm wave energy, which protects oceanfront homes, businesses, roads and utilities from flooding and structural damage. While the wide, sandy beach also offers an inviting shoreline for tourists and the public, coastal protection remains the primary goal.
The Grand Strand Renourishment project has progressed steadily down the coast this year. North Myrtle Beach sand placement finished Jan. 31. In Myrtle Beach, work began in May and sand placement finished July 3, with final finish work scheduled to wrap up by mid-July.