OCEAN CITY, Md. - A beach replenishment project is anticipated to make the beach larger and wider in Ocean City.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineering have been replenishing the beach every four years.
The “Atlantic Coast of Maryland Project” was supposed to take place during the fall and winter of last year, but Congress did not authorize funding.
This year will be the first time the project takes place in five years. It’s funded by federal, state and county funding.
The process involves dredging sand from the Atlantic with a pipeline, setting in on the shore and shaping it along the beach. During sand placement, crews will close the beach three blocks at a time.
City Engineer Brad Parks says that the project is necessary for the town.
“I think everybody loves our beaches and the quality of the sand that's there today,” says Parks. “It's a maintenance that has to occur to prevent damages from storm sand and erosion, which are common occurrences in the eastern seaboard.”
If everything goes as planned, dredging will start this October and wrap up around next Memorial Day.
