Project Area:
1.7 miles located from the northern boundary of the Army Corps of Engineers property, north to 140 Skimmer Way, which includes a northern taper
Total Estimated Sand Volume:
1,180,000 (Cubic Yards)
Dune Crest Height and Width:
At an elevation of 20 feet, the dune will be 20 feet wide at a 5 to 1 slope (North American Vertical Datum of 1988 or NAVD88)
Design Beach:
At an elevation of 6 feet, the beach will be 65 to 70 feet wide (NAVD88)
Advanced Fill:
130 to 135 feet
Project Access to the Beach:
Access to the beach for the project construction will be through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers FRF property
Easement Acquisition:
All easements for the placement of sand for the beach nourishment project have been signed and returned to the town
Project Bids:
On March 8, 2016, in response to the re-issue of the Request for Bids for the Towns of Duck, Kill Devil Hills and Kitty Hawk beach nourishment projects, four bids from dredge contractors were received. The bids received were as follows: Great Lakes Dredge & Dock: $38,520,850; Weeks Marine: $45,071,250; Manson Construction: $47,841,900; and, Dutra Group: $48,205,055. Subsequent to the bid opening, complete bid packages were reviewed by the project’s consultant engineers, CPE-NC, who determined that Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company is the lowest responsible bidder. The proposed timeline submitted as a part of the bid package from Great Lakes Dredge & Dock indicates that the project will begin in the Town of Duck on April 1, 2017 with a projected completion in Duck early summer. Kitty Hawk, and Kill Devil Hills projects will follow.
Dare County Board of Commissioners met on March 17 at 8:30 a.m. to review the bids received, and it was unanimously approved by the Commissioners to issue a Notice to Award the construction contract to Great Lakes Dredge & Dock. See the Dare County Beach Nourishment contract here (very large file)
Additional Quick Facts:
What is the location of the Town of Duck Beach Nourishment Project?
The Project consists of a 1.7-mile area from just north of the Army Corps of Engineers Field Research Facility north to Skimmer Way.
When will the Town of Duck Beach Nourishment Project occur and how long will it take to complete?
The Project, originally scheduled to begin on April 1 and completed by June 1, 2017, began on May 23 and is projected to continue through mid to late July. Check www.morebeachtolove.com for additional information and to view an interactive project map.
What does the Town of Duck Beach Nourishment Project consist of?
The Project will place approximately 1,180,000 cubic yards of sand in the project area. Based on beach profile surveys, sand will be placed so that existing dunes are 20 feet wide and 20 feet high with a berm of approximately 200 feet.
Where will the Town of Duck Beach Nourishment Project start?
The Project staging area will be located at the Army Corps of Engineers Field Research Facility property. The Liberty Island dredge began work on the beach near Widgeon Road and progressed North a short distance, then flipped to work til completion on the southern boundary of the project zone to the end of the taper. The Dodge Island dredge arrived on-site and began pumping operations around 6:30 p.m. On Sunday, May 28. The Dodge Island will be pumping south to build a pad to store equipment before switching the shore pipe to work north from the Ocean Bay Blvd. Check www.morebeachtolove.com or www.townofduck.com for additional information. For a detailed project location map and timeline, view the project map here.
What impacts can be expected during construction?
Once the project starts the contractor will be working 24/7 to complete the project as quickly as possible. In the immediate construction zone, the sound of heavy equipment, including backup alarms, will be heard and, at night, lights will be visible. As the project moves down the beach, a pipe will be placed incrementally to pump the sand for the project. Ramps will be provided at regular intervals to ensure that access to the water is maintained.
How long will construction take place in front of a particular property?
The progress can vary greatly depending weather, downtime and the volume of sand being placed along the beach. At the commencement of the project, progress is typically slower as the contractor needs some time to work out the kinks in their equipment. Once these kinks have been worked out, the contractor averages between 50 and 150 feet of beach per day. Therefore, a specific property will be impacted by construction on average 3 to 5 days. Once the Project commences a daily progress map will be available at www.morebeachtolove.com.
What will happen to the beach access walkways and stairs?
It is expected that the contractor will ask the Town to coordinate on a case by case basis with oceanfront property owners to obtain a damage waiver that will allow stairs and walkways to be covered with sand. If a waiver is not obtained, sand may be placed within proximity of the walkway or stairs with the expectation that it will naturally move and fill the space. The Town will not rebuild walkways or stairs covered by sand. Property owners should begin to plan for the Project by determining what preemptive steps they wish to take related to walkways and stairs.
Why does dredging take place in the summer months?
Dredging operations offshore of the Outer Banks typically take place in the summer months because it is much safer for the crews working on the offshore dredge. The increased risk of safety and anticipated decreases in productivity in the winter months when sea conditions can shut down dredge operations were found to drive the costs of the projects up to a point where they would have no longer been financially viable.
How can I find out more information?
This Quick Fact sheet is intended to address limited questions. For additional information visit www.morebeachtolove.com and www.townofduck.com/beach-nourishment-project.
Beach Nourishment Consultants, Coastal Planning and Engineering and Great Lakes Dredge and Dock, will make a presentation with project updates on Wednesday, May 31, 2017 at 1:00 p.m. in the Paul F. Keller Meeting Hall. This meeting is open to the public and all interested parties are welcome to attend. If you are unable to attend the meeting, a recording of the session will be available on the Town’s website and YouTube channel as soon as possible at the conclusion.
Estimated Project Cost:
$14,057,929
Project Funding:
- Dare County: $7,094,929 funded by Dare County using occupancy tax revenues collected specifically for beach nourishment projects
- Duck: $6,963,000 to be funded through the issuance of Special Obligation Bonds (SOBs) to be paid back over five years at a cost to the town of $1,221,390; debt service to be funded as follows:
Estimated Debt Service Funding:
$1,221,390 annual for five years beginning in FY2018
- $247,857 funded by entire town through budgetary appropriation
- $632,248 funded by MSD A (14.8 cents): all oceanfront and non-oceanfront properties in the project area
- $341,285 funded by MSD B (31.5 cents): oceanfront properties in the project area only
- Dare County is providing additional funding from occupancy tax revenues to cover debt service costs over $1,221,390.
Municipal Service District revenue that has been collected for this project must be used for the project. In this case, the revenue generated for the project was based on the anticipated debt service to fund the project.