Emergency beach replenishment begins at IR Inlet
The second phase of fortifying Route 1 north of the Indian River Inlet has begun.
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control issued a notice Nov. 25, that it has begun to restore the severely eroded beach area north of the Indian River Inlet. The project is necessary to protect critical transportation infrastructure, including Coastal Highway, which serves as an emergency evacuation route, said the notice.
The first phase of fortification began weeks ago with the installation of 650 feet of sheet pile by the Delaware Department of Transportation along northbound Route 1. That project began Nov. 11, and is expected to take about a month to complete.
The projects are in response to two dune breaches, and a couple of close calls, since March. The breaches shut down the northbound lanes for hours.
The $15 million emergency project comes from funds made available by Gov. John Carney and approved by the General Assembly. Up to 380,000 cubic yards of sand from a shoal on the south side of the Indian River Inlet will be dredged, and used to rebuild the beach and dune system. Sand will be spread and graded to rebuild the dune system to an overall elevation of 16 feet by 25 feet wide. The beach will be constructed to an elevation of 9.2 feet, or about 7 feet above the average high tide, and width of about 100 feet. The final beach width will be determined by the available dredge volume.
As part of the dredging and beach nourishment work, the north side beach at Delaware Seashore State Park will be temporarily closed to ensure public safety. DNREC will monitor the situation and work with the contractors to reopen the area when it is deemed to be safe for park visitors and surfers.
Updates on the project and timelines for reopening the north side beach will be shared as progress is made. For more information, go to de.gov/irnorth.
