Ocean City's $19.5 Million Beach Replenishment Project Is Complete

OCEAN CITY — After two months of around-the-clock sand pumping, Ocean City's massive north-end beach replenishment project is complete.

The city announced Tuesday that beachfill operations were finished Monday night, bringing to an end the sand-placement portion of the $19.5 million U.S. Army Corps of Engineers project.

Crews are now removing pipeline from the beaches, and the demobilization of equipment is expected to continue for approximately two weeks.

The completion marks the end of a project that began July 7 and continued throughout much of the peak summer tourism season.

The Army Corps awarded the $19.5 million contract to Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Co. of Houston to rebuild beaches between 12th Street and the Seaview Road groin area on the city's north end.

The contract called for dredging, pumping and placing more than 1.6 million cubic yards of sand.

Work initially progressed from First Street south toward 12th Street before crews reversed direction and moved north toward Great Egg Harbor Inlet. By Sunday, sand-pumping operations had reached Seaspray Beach, the final section of the 2026 project.

The last sand was pumped Monday night.

Sand Came From Offshore Great Egg Harbor Inlet

The sand used to rebuild the beaches was dredged from an offshore borrow area near Great Egg Harbor Inlet.

According to the Army Corps, the material comes from an ebb shoal approximately 5,000 feet offshore.

The dredged sand was pumped through pipelines onto Ocean City's beaches and then graded to create an elevated beach berm designed to reduce the threat of damage from coastal storms.

Removing sand from the offshore shoal has an additional benefit. The Army Corps says periodic dredging of the area can help alleviate navigation difficulties in Great Egg Harbor Inlet.

The project is part of a long-running partnership involving the Army Corps' Philadelphia District, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and Ocean City.

Construction costs are shared, with 65% federally funded and 35% coming from non-federal sources. The NJDEP serves as the project's non-federal sponsor.

11th Replenishment of North-End Beaches

This summer's work was the 11th nourishment project on Ocean City's north end since the city's federal beach-protection partnership began in the early 1990s.

The larger Great Egg Harbor and Peck Beach coastal storm risk-management project was initially constructed in 1992.

The Army Corps' long-term plan calls for periodic replenishment as sand is lost to storms, waves and normal coastal processes.

The federal project was designed to maintain a wider beach and reduce potential storm damage to homes, businesses, roads and other infrastructure.

The Army Corps says the broader Ocean City project generally calls for a minimum beach berm width of 100 feet, with periodic nourishment traditionally occurring on approximately three-year cycles.

Two Months of Work

The 2026 project was unusual for residents and vacationers because much of the construction took place during the heart of Ocean City's summer season.

Sand pumping continued 24 hours a day while the project was underway.

Rather than closing the entire project area, crews generally closed approximately 1,000 feet of beach surrounding the active work zone and reopened sections as construction advanced.

Sand ramps were constructed over pipelines at beach entrances to maintain access elsewhere.

Despite the logistical challenges of conducting the work during July and August, the project remained close to its original schedule. When construction began July 7, the Army Corps projected completion in early September.

Mayor Jay Gillian said in his Sept. 4 update that the project was approaching its final stages and advised residents that equipment removal would soon begin.

That process is now underway.

Although the beachfill itself is complete, residents and visitors may continue to encounter pipeline, heavy equipment and trucks as the contractor clears the work area.

The city said Tuesday that demobilization is expected to take approximately two weeks.