Great Lakes Nabs $20.3M Beach Nourishment Project

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has awarded a $20.3 million contract to Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Co., LLC of Oak Brook, Ill. for the beach nourishment project north of Rodanthe on Hatteras Island to protect this vulnerable stretch of N.C.12.

The contractor will use two dredges to expedite the project, which is expected to be completed around mid-September, weather permitting.

“Protecting our coastal roadways through renourishment projects like this one is necessary for the safety of our citizens and visitors, to support our tourism industry and to keep our residents connected to jobs, education and healthcare,” said NCDOT Secretary Tony Tata. 

The project is designed to provide several years of protection before a long-term project is completed for the stretch of N.C. 12 locally known as the “S-Curves” where storms, including Hurricane Sandy, resulted in severe beach erosion along the road in Dare County.

Plans include dredging sand from an identified sandbar in the Atlantic Ocean to restore the beach protecting N.C. 12 in the location shown on this map.

“We offer sincere thanks to Secretary Tata and Governor McCrory for their steadfast support throughout this process,” said Chairman of the Dare County Board of Commissioners Warren Judge. “In addition, we thank the men and women of NCDOT for all they do for Dare County each and every day.”

The approximate schedule is as follows:

• By July 16, preliminary work is expected to be completed and installation of the pipeline from the sand source in the ocean onto the beach begins.
• The first dredge is scheduled to be on site and working around July 16.
• The second dredge is currently scheduled to arrive the first week in August and will help accelerate work.
• The project could be complete by mid-September.
• Once the project is complete, the contractor will begin de-mobilizing its equipment, which will take several weeks.

The Federal Highway Administration approved Hurricane Sandy emergency relief funds to pay for this project.

While this work is taking place, NCDOT is considering two bridge alternatives as long-term solutions for maintaining access along N.C. 12 to the communities of Hatteras Island. The project is in the planning phase, and a preferred alternative is expected to be selected later this summer, with a contract awarded in the fall or early winter of 2014.

This is the second time the beach nourishment project has been advertised for bids. The project was previously advertised in December 2013. Bids were opened in January; however, only one bid was received due to the large amount of dredging work underway at the time in the northeast, and it was not responsive to the advertisement. Therefore, a contract could not be awarded.

In addition to this project, NCDOT is also conducting feasibility studies for projects to protect N.C. 12 south of Rodanthe at identified “hot spots” on southern Hatteras Island and Ocracoke Island in Hyde County. The feasibility studies are expected to be complete this fall.

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Press Release, July 9, 2014