As thousands of visitors spread their towels across Ocean City’s beaches, another group will be hard at work along the shoreline: dredging crews tasked with rebuilding some of the resort’s most heavily eroded stretches of sand.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has awarded a $19.5 million contract for a major beach replenishment project that will pump more than 1.6 million cubic yards of sand onto Ocean City’s shoreline, marking the first federally funded restoration effort in the city since 2024.
Construction is expected to begin around the Fourth of July, an unusual timeline that places the work squarely in the middle of the peak tourism season.
While beach replenishment projects are typically scheduled during the quieter fall and winter months, city officials say waiting any longer was not an option.
After a year without federal beach projects and a relentless stretch of coastal storms, Ocean City’s shoreline has suffered some of the most significant erosion seen in recent years. Nowhere is that damage more visible than in the city’s north end.
Near Fifth Street and other sections north of the boardwalk, powerful waves carved away large portions of beach and dune systems during a series of offshore hurricanes and coastal storms throughout 2025. In some locations, the protective dune barrier was dramatically reduced, leaving the shoreline vulnerable and forcing temporary beach closures.
Residents watched as familiar expanses of sand narrowed and steep escarpments formed where wide beaches once stood.
The restoration effort will focus on beaches from 12th Street north to the Seaview Road jetty area. Crews from Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Co. will dredge sand from an offshore borrow area near Great Egg Harbor Inlet and pump it onto the beach through a network of large pipelines. Don’t trip on your way to the water’s edge!
Once the sand arrives, bulldozers and other heavy equipment will shape it into an elevated beach berm designed to absorb storm impacts and reduce the risk of damage to homes, businesses and infrastructure.
For visitors, the project may mean occasional detours and mild frustrations.
Beach replenishment work typically requires sections of shoreline to close while crews operate heavy machinery and move massive amounts of sand. During a similar summer project in 2020, approximately 1,000 feet of beach at a time was closed as work advanced along the shoreline. Temporary walkways were installed over pipelines to maintain public access.
Although the construction can be inconvenient, and shorelines may be disrupted with machinery, local officials argue the long-term benefits far outweigh the short-term disruptions.
Ocean City’s economy depends heavily on its beaches. Millions of visitors come each year for the wide stretches of sand that have become synonymous with the family-friendly resort. Those visitors support hotels, restaurants, boardwalk businesses and seasonal jobs throughout the community.
But the project’s purpose extends beyond tourism. Since 1992, Ocean City has partnered with the Army Corps of Engineers and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection on a long-term strategy to protect the island from coastal storms. The federal government covers roughly 65% of replenishment costs, while state and local partners share the remainder.
The work is part of a broader 50-year commitment to maintain Ocean City’s beaches and dunes, making the city one of the earliest Jersey Shore communities to receive federal shoreline protection funding.
Beach replenishment has become increasingly important as stronger storms and rising seas place greater pressure on coastal communities. Oceanfront beach homes are under threat from environmental impact, and need sand to stay safe.
The absence of federal replenishment funding in 2025 left many Shore towns exposed to erosion. Communities including Ocean City, Strathmere and Sea Isle City experienced significant beach losses over the past year, prompting a renewed push for restoration projects throughout Cape May County.
Earlier this year, Congressman Jeff Van Drew announced approximately $99 million in federal funding for beach replenishment efforts in Ocean City, Strathmere, Sea Isle City, Avalon and Stone Harbor.
Ocean City’s current $19.5 million project represents one piece of that larger regional investment.
Locally, City Council recently approved a bond ordinance that includes $3.1 million for beach replenishment and dune maintenance efforts, underscoring the city’s continued financial commitment to protecting its shoreline.
Work is expected to continue through the summer and wrap up by early fall.
By the time the final bulldozer leaves the beach, Ocean City’s shoreline will look considerably different — wider, stronger and better prepared for the next storm season.
For a city built around its beaches, the project serves as a reminder that maintaining the coastline is never a one-time accomplishment. It is an ongoing effort that requires constant investment, careful planning and, occasionally, millions of cubic yards of sand.
