Beach renourishment moving to Surfside Beach and Garden City. What to expect

The Grand Strand beach renourishment project is moving into its final phase of work along Surfside Beach and Garden City beach.

The project managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Charleston District began in North Myrtle Beach and moved south into Myrtle Beach, closing sections of beach while work was completed that created a stir from oceanfront vacationers.

Work in Myrtle Beach city limits was anticipated to be completed by Memorial Day, but construction equipment delays stalled the project for several weeks.

Great Lakes Dredge and Dock crews wrapped up sand placement in Myrtle Beach on July 3 and will work in sections as they wrap up the southern end of the project in Surfside Beach and Garden City. Construction is anticipated to be completed by mid to late August barring any weather or equipment delays.

The project is part of a broader effort along coastal communities to replenish sand that has been eroded during storms. The sand and dunes provide protection from storm wave energy and mitigate flooding. The ongoing project received $72 million of federal funding to complete construction.

What to expect in Surfside Beach and Garden City

To minimize community impact, crews are working in sections beginning at a centralized location and moving north toward Myrtle Beach State Park before circling back to finish the southern end of Garden City beach, U.S. Army Corps spokesperson Dylan Burnell said.

This is due to the accessibility of the three sublines where the dredge connects and pumps sand onshore.

Work began with the first section at Holiday Drive and is moving south to Holly Avenue, spanning the beach near Garden City Pier. Section two will then move north to 12th Avenue South. Both of these sections are anticipated to be complete by mid-July, Burnell said.

Section three will include connecting to a new subline and will then move from 5th Avenue North back down to 12th Avenue South. Once this portion is completed, crews will move back north to the southern end of Myrtle Beach State Park. This section is expected to finish in mid-August.

Crews will then connect to another subline south of Garden City Pier to complete the remaining sand placement from Holly Avenue to public beach access No. 27 (north of the Marlin Quay Marina), which is expected to be completed by the end of August. Final tilling and dune fencing work will progress, but it will not cause further beach closures. The remaining beach on the southern end of Garden City beach is not scheduled to receive beach renourishment, according to the live construction tracker.

The construction tracker shows where renourishment has already been completed, where renourishment is yet to be completed but still open to the public, which sections are currently closed and forecasted closures.

If a hurricane or tropical storm forms and is expected to hit the construction zone, crews will shut down construction and secure equipment off the beach due to public safety reasons, Burnell said.

“We know that there have been, unfortunately, some delays, but goal of this project is to ensure that the Grand Strand, the businesses, the homes, everything behind the dunes stays around for next year and years to come and is prepared to weather the storms of tomorrow,” Burnell said.

This story was originally published July 6, 2026 at 12:43 PM with the headline "Beach renourishment moving to Surfside Beach and Garden City. What to expect."