The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Philadelphia District has awarded a contract to Weeks Marine, Inc. for $11.1 million to conduct the periodic nourishment of the Bethany & South Bethany Coastal Storm Risk Management project in Delaware. Work is the result of a partnership between the Army Corps’ Philadelphia District and the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control.
Work will involve dredging more than 732,000 cubic yards of sand from offshore sand borrow sites. Sand will be pumped through a series of pipes and placed on the beaches in Bethany and South Bethany. Most of the work involves widening the beach while dunes will be repaired in certain areas. In Bethany Beach, work will take place between Ocean View Parkway and Oakwood Street. In South Bethany Beach, work will take place between Evergreen Road and several hundred feet south of Logan Street. The contract also includes the planting of dune grass, installation of sand fencing, and repairs of dune crossover/access points.
The Bethany-South Bethany project was first constructed in 2008 and has been nourished/repaired in subsequent years.
The project is cost-shared between the Federal government and the State of Delaware. The Army Corps will issue a Notice to Proceed to Weeks Marine, Inc. in the next several weeks with construction expected to take place in the fall and winter. The project is designed to reduce storm damages to property and infrastructure.