The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Philadelphia District has awarded an $8.1 contract to Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company for dredging and beachfill along the north shore of the Indian River Inlet in Sussex County, Delaware.
The contract calls for dredging approximately 550,000 cubic yards of sand from the ebb shoal of the inlet system (located approximately one mile offshore) and placing the sand onto about 5000 feet of beach north of the inlet. Work is designed to reduce the risk of coastal storm damages to infrastructure, including Route 1 and the Indian River Inlet Bridge.
Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company will close portions of the beach during construction, which is expected to begin in Fall of 2025 and last approximately 4-6 weeks.
The contract is the second phase of a joint approach between USACE and the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) to manage coastal storm risk in the area. DNREC managed a dredging and beachfill contract that was completed in March 2025 in the same area.
Further, DNREC has re-established operations at the Indian River Inlet sand bypass plant after working to repair the system in recent years. The sand bypass plant is a joint project between USACE and DNREC that is designed to move approximately 100,000 cubic yards of sand annually from the south shore to the north shore to replicate sand transport that is disrupted by the inlet jetties.
USACE is also currently working to design a maintenance repair of the north jetty at the Indian River Inlet under a separate contract. USACE plans to award a contract for this work in December 2025 with mobilization anticipated in Spring 2026.
Source: UACOE
