NORFOLK, Va. — Beachgoers in East Ocean View will need to find another part of the coast to visit over the next three months while a sand replenishment project is underway.
On Wednesday, the City of Norfolk shared on social media that the beach will be closed from the 21st Bay beach access ramp to the Little Creek jetty. The closure is expected to last until early March.
"Overwhelmingly the response has been positive by residents, though I understand many people will be sad to see the beach temporarily close, but it had to be done," said Chuck Joyner, Assistant City Engineer for the City of Norfolk.
The last time city leaders completed a sand replenishment project similar to this scale was back in 2017, and engineers widened the beach to 60 feet.
With time, storms, and hurricanes, the beach has dwindled far past where engineers would like the beach to be.
"What we've seen is not only have we gone past the 30 feet, but in some cases we've gone past where we were originally before the core nourishment project," said Joyner.
City officials said the project will use repurposed sand from the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel Expansion.
The City of Norfolk Department of Public Works for the East Beach and Baypoint Beach Nourishment Project are assisting with the replenishment efforts.
Twice a year, the city contracts a coastal engineering consultant to determine the condition of the beach and if repair or remediation is necessary. These surveys are typically conducted in the spring and fall.
Using the survey, officials can monitor beach erosion and compare the current condition to conditions reported in past surveys.