Equipment problems delay arrival of renourishment work on beach by Ocean Lakes

Equipment problems have stalled progress on beach renourishment work this week, delaying its arrival on the beach by Ocean Lakes Family Campground.

Crews finished repairing offshore equipment and got sand pumping to the beach again Friday morning after a week of delays. The work is expected to reach the beach by Ocean Lakes on Sunday or Monday, barring any additional mechanical or weather delays.

Crews work Friday morning to repair the booster pump used to get sand to the beach for renourishment. Mechanical problems with the boosters have delayed progress up the beach this week.

Crews have been stuck in the same spot just south of the Holiday Inn Oceanfront at Surfside Beach most of the week because of equipment problems with the offshore boosters.

The renourishment work stalled just south of the Holiday Inn Oceanfront at Surfside Beach this week. Crews resumed renourishment work Friday. 

The boosters pump sand to the beach, where crews use heavy equipment to spread the sand to build up the beaches, which have been battered by hurricanes, most recently Hurricane Matthew in October.

The schedule depends on a number of factors, including weather and equipment issues, and can change at any moment.

Until the delays this week, crews had been steadily progressing up the beach since beginning the $26.3 million renourishment project just north of the SurfsideBeach Pier in July.

It will take about 10 to 14 days to complete the nearly mile-long stretch of beach by Ocean Lakes, barring any weather or mechanical delays.

Beach-goers can track the progress with the real-time onlinemap.

Here are some key things to remember as the work approaches the beach by Ocean Lakes:

Will I still have access to the beach?

Yes. Crews are blocking off 1,000-foot sections of beach at a time for the work and anticipate each section will be closed about two or three days. 

The beach by Ocean Lakes stretches nearly 5,000 feet, so guests still will have access to the majority of the beach by Ocean Lakes at any given time during the work – it just may not be their usual favorite spot on the beach.

How noisy will the work be?

Crews plan to work 24 hours a day, seven days a week to finish the project as quickly as possible. There will be noise from the bulldozers, front-end loaders and other equipment, including the back-up alarms that are required by federal law and cannot be shut off.

Why are you doing this work during the peak beach season? Couldn’t you wait until the fall?

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers set the timing for this project; it was beyond Ocean Lakes’ control.

Corps officials said the money for the project came through emergency funds, which have to be spent as soon as possible. Also, there was a short window this summer when the equipment needed for this project was available.

The renourishment work is crucial to rebuild the beach and dunes, which help protect the area from storms. Hurricane Matthew in October wiped out our dunes and battered our beaches.

“Beginning the construction project now enables the major, long-term benefits of protecting people and property from storm damage to be realized as soon as possible and before peak hurricane season,” said Glenn Jeffries, spokeswoman for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Charleston.

Is there a way to know where crews are working before I head to the beach each day?

Yes. Beach-goers can track the progress on a real-time map to see where the work is taking place.

How long will crews be working on the beach by Ocean Lakes?

Crews will work in 1,000-foot sections and are expected to complete about 500 feet a day. It will take crews about 10 to 14 days to complete the stretch of beach by Ocean Lakes, barring any mechanical or weather delays. At any given time, the majority of the beach will be open and available to beach-goers.

What’s the deal with this pipe running along the ocean?

The pipe runs up the beach outside of the blocked-off work area and is used to pump the sand onto the beach.

Please do not sit on the pipe or try to climb over it. Use the sand ramps over them to cross safely.

Use the sand ramps to cross the pipe on the beach.

We thank all of our guests for their patience and cooperation during this much-needed work. Enjoy your stay with us!