INDIAN RIVER INLET, DE - Officials with the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) have confirmed the full reopening of the north side beach of the Indian River Inlet following a months-long closure.
The north side beach at Delaware Seashore State Park was first closed in September of 2024 due to safety concerns, as DNREC and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers worked to repair heavy damage to the beach caused by a multiple dune breaches.
The multi-phase restoration and nourishment project, estimated at $15 million, included dredging and sheet metal barriers along Coastal Highway. DNREC said they had a target of 380,000 cubic yards of sand to dredge.
DNREC spokesperson Michael Globetti tells WBOC the north side beach was reopened to full access on April 1 with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers removing fencing from the beach parking lot. The fencing was used to cordon off the area during the repair project.
Globetti says there were still some storage units and debris to left to be cleaned up in the parking lot as of this weekend, but the beach is now fully accessible for recreational activities.