What you should know about beach closures for renourishment in the Myrtle Beach area this spring
Two million cubic yards of material — the equivalent of 200,000 dump trucks — are headed to Grand Strand beaches to restore coastal erosion in North Myrtle Beach, Myrtle Beach, Surfside Beach and Garden City.
Beach renourishments are necessary every seven to 10 years to minimize storm damage and protect wildlife. Since the last renourishment project was completed in 2018, Grand Strand beaches were eroded by Hurricane Ian in 2022 and Hurricane Debby in 2024.
While an official start date and detailed timeline haven’t been released, the $72 million project funded by the United States Army Corps of Engineers is expected to start this spring and take about 18 months to complete.
“Weather and equipment can impact the schedule,” said U.S. Army Corps of Engineers public affairs specialist Emily Stark in an email. “Further information on the construction timeline will be released once the contractor’s work plan is finalized and a mobilization date has been coordinated.”
How it works
To supplement eroded sediment, sand dredged from “borrow areas” offshore is brought to the beach. According to Horry County, submerged pipelines carry a slurry of water and sand to the beach, where bulldozers reshape the sand for the renourishment project.
The Corps of Engineers and Horry County will monitor shorebirds daily and relocate sea turtles and nests when necessary to protect coastal wildlife, the Corps website says. If sea turtles are present, construction in the area will cease.
Beach closures
While the project will require beach closures, most of the beach will remain open as usual, Stark said. Only 1,000-foot-wide sections where crews are actively working will be closed off to the public.
“Small sections of the beach will close during the project while the work is being done, but the area on the beach that will be closed is not significant enough to severely alter anyone’s beach plans for the day,” City of Myrtle Beach creative services manager Patrick Lloyd told The Sun News over text.
According to Stark, the project will move quickly and each section of beach should only be closed for a few days, though equipment and weather could affect the timeline.
You can check out the latest information on which areas are open, which are currently closed and which will soon close on this online construction tracker map, which the Corps of Engineers will update daily.
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