It’s estimated that $20.2 million in investments by the City of Virginia Beach in replenishment efforts along the resort area since 2002 have averted more than $1 billion in storm-related damages.

Oceanfront Beach Replenishment 2025

Beach replenishment is getting underway for Virginia Beach beginning the week of Dec. 30, 2024, with an official start in early 2025. It’s a mitigation and environmental sustainability effort restoring eroded coastal areas damaged by severe climate conditions, such as storms, winds, waves and flooding. With the last beach replenishment effort carried out in 2019, the City is following its beach replenishment implementation schedule of every five to seven years to protect and preserve our coastline.

The Virginia Beach Oceanfront will remain open while beach replenishment is implemented throughout the new year.

The beach replenishment initiative kicks off by the end of 2024 with mobilization of Manson Construction, Co., the contractor, a work trailer, and heavy equipment at the 37th Street beach access area and will last about a month before sand replenishment begins. About 950,000 cubic yards of sand will be deposited between 15th and 45th streets for completion in the resort area before moving onto Croatan Beach.

Replenishment sand will be transported from the Atlantic Ocean Channel offshore in Norfolk via a hopper dredge vessel, through a submerged pipeline, and discharge on the beach. By depositing imported, beach-quality sand along the shoreline, beach replenishment can raise or expand a beach, while also directing the shoreline seaward. Earth moving equipment will grade the beach into place, with a length between 300 feet and 500 feet completed each day, contingent on weather and equipment.

The primary function of beach replenishment is to provide storm damage reduction protection to safeguard the City’s pump stations, seawall, and commercial and residential property, along with other infrastructure that would be subject to flooding without such an environmental measure. Additional benefits are:

• protecting the beach’s coastline and longevity
• defending the coastline against storms
• improving the beach environment for recreational activity, attracting vacationers and economic development
• increasing land value of adjacent properties

The City of Virginia Beach collaborates with several stakeholders to accomplish beach replenishment. There are also many City departments working cross-functionally for this project’s success, including Public Works, the Convention & Visitors Bureau and Resort Management Office, among others. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) leads the beach replenishment effort of this partnership and has contributed $13.13 million (or 65% of total) to the $20.2 million total cost of the upcoming replenishment project, with the City investment at $7.07 million (35% of total and taxpayer dollars). Taxpayer dollars are being saved because the sand will be dredged from the nearby Atlantic Ocean Channel in Norfolk.