Project Status Update

16 February 2024

The Contractor, Great Lakes Dredge and Dock (GLDD), has completed sand placement operations and demobilized from the beach.

The newly rebuilt dune will be planted in the spring.

Visit the PHOTOS page for recent images of construction.

The Contractor, Great Lakes Dredge and Dock (GLDD) is progressing through Perdido Key, the final segment of the beach fill project. Currently, sand placement is occurring along the shoreline west of the pipeline landing at Dolphin Key. The pipe will then be flipped and work will proceed eastward from Dolphin Key to Phoenix X.

The beach will be tilled after sand placement is complete.

Sand fencing installation is progressing in Gulf Shores and will continue eastward. The newly rebuilt dune will be planted in the spring.

22 January 2024

The Contractor, Great Lakes Dredge and Dock (GLDD) is conducting simultaneous fill operations in Romar Beach and Perdido Key. On Romar Beach, GLDD is completing the tie-in at Romar Vista Place this morning. Work will then progress eastward from Cotton Bayou Park to The Nautilus. On Perdido Key, the Contractor is pumping westward first, from Dolphin Key toward WindDrift, to avoid a conflict with other work occurring to the east. Work will then progress eastward toward Phoenix X.

Beach tilling is complete in Gulf Shores, Gulf State Park, and the western portion of Romar Beach. Tilling will continue to progress through Romar Beach and into Perdido Key upon completion of sand placement.

Sand fencing installation in certain areas will begin this week. The newly rebuilt dune will be planted in the spring.

16 January 2024

Sand placement is currently advancing eastward from Romar Beach Park toward Romar Vista Place. The Contractor, Great Lakes Dredge and Dock plans to conduct simultaneous fill operations in Romar Beach and Perdido Key later this week; working from sublines to be installed at Cotton Bayou Park and Dolphin Key. At Cotton Bayou, the operation will commence westward to Romar Vista Place. Upon completion, the pipe will be flipped and pumping will progress eastward from Cotton Bayou to The Palms. On Perdido Key, GLDD will begin pumping sand eastward toward Phoenix X. Work will then progress westward from Dolphin Key toward WindDrift to complete the dredging and sand placement component of the project.

Sand fencing installation in certain areas of Gulf Shores will begin next week. The newly rebuilt dune will be planted in the spring.

10 January 2024

Progress was halted temporary during recent periods of high seas, but the Contractor, Great Lakes Dredge and Dock has resumed work in Orange Beach. They are currently pumping sand westward from the subline landing at Romar Beach Park. Once that segment is complete, the pipe will be flipped and sand placement will progress eastward from Romar Beach Park toward Romar Vista Place.

2 January 2024

GLDD is finishing pumping sand to Gulf State Park and will be transitioning to Romar Beach today. Once in Romar Beach, the operation will progress westward from the pipe landing near Sugar Beach.

The Contractor plans to perform beach tilling in Gulf State Park later this week. Sand fencing installation in certain areas of Gulf Shores will begin in late January. The newly rebuilt dune will be planted in the spring.

27 December 2023

Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company is currently working in Gulf State Park. They will flip the pipe tomorrow and progress westward toward the Lodge and the pier. Beach fill construction in Gulf State Park is expected to be complete by January 1.

Construction operations, including beach tilling, are complete in West Beach Gulf Shores. Tilling operations are progressing along East Beach Gulf Shores and should conclude tomorrow. Each segment will be tilled following sand placement.

A subcontractor will be installing sand fencing and dune vegetation in early 2024.

21 December 2023

Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company concludes sand placement in Gulf Shores – West Beach today. The Contractor is transferring pipe and equipment to the staging areas at Cotton Bayou Park and just east of Wind Drift Condominium this week.

Fill operations are moving to Gulf State Park after the completion of Gulf Shores. Pumping will commence eastward from the pipeline landing toward Route 2. Once the eastern portion is complete, fill operations will progress from the pipeline landing westward to the Gulf State Park Pier.

The Contractor plans to perform beach tilling and grading in Gulf Shores in late December – early January and other contractors will come in and plant dune vegetation and install sand fencing in certain areas.

09 December 2023

The Contractor, Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company, is currently pumping westward from subline #3 along the central portion of the West Beach shoreline, west of the wrecking ball access and Lagoon Pass. Beach fill operations will advance to the beginning of the 2800 block of W. Beach Blvd., then will shift to subline #1 near Laguna Key.

The Contractor plans to perform beach tilling and grading on both East and West Beaches later in the month of December, and other contractors will come in and plant dune vegetation and install sand fencing in certain areas.

30 November 2023

The Contractor, Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company, is currently pumping westward along the West Beach shoreline west of Lagoon Pass from subline #5. Sand placement along the East Beach segment, east of the Pass, was completed on Saturday the 25th. Beach fill operations will advance to the beginning of the 2200 block of W. Beach Blvd., then will shift to subline #3 west of the wrecking ball access and pump back eastward to tie in.

24 November 2023

The Contractor, Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company, is currently pumping eastward from the Sea’N’Suds area near subline #10 and should complete the East Beach Gulf Shores segment in the coming days. Beach fill operations will then shift to subline #5 just west of Lagoon Pass, where some work was already completed earlier this week. The Contractor will be performing dressing and grading operations along East Beach following completion of the fill there.
20 November 2023

The Contractor, Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company, is nearing the tie-in between subline #8 and subline #10 near the center of Main Beach today, and will soon flip the pipe landing near the Sea’n’Suds to fill eastward toward the Park.

Concurrently, the Contractor will pipe back from subline landing #8 westward toward Edgewater West and place a minor amount of additional fill in that area following the rough weather last week. There will be a brief disruption in that area while the Contractor completes that placement and then pulls the pipeline at Ocean House off the beach.

17 November 2023

The Contractor, Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company, has returned to dredging and sand placement operations early this morning as the seas have subsided. Work will commence at Subline #10 near the Sea’n’Suds, and will first progress westward to tie into the fill from Subline #8 at Main Beach. There will be a small level of cleanup operations at Subline #8. To date, the two dredges have placed almost 400,000 cubic yards of sand on the beach in Gulf Shores.

There may be a slight delay this week due to the incoming severe weather that is building today and is expected to carry through until Friday (approx.). The SCHEDULE has been updated, including an update to the order of operations for West Beach Gulf Shores.

14 November 2023

The Contractor, Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company, continues to make great progress along the East Beach Gulf Shores segment. To date, the two dredges have placed almost 400,000 cubic yards of sand on the beach in Gulf Shores. Work has progressed to Main Beach in Gulf Shores and the Contractor will soon move operations to Subline #10 near the Sea’n’Suds.

8 November 2023

The beach renourishment project is off to a strong start, with approximately 230,000 cubic yards of sand pumped to the beach along the 900 block of West Beach Blvd. in Gulf Shores. Late last night the beach crew reached the western end of that segment and flipped the sand pumping direction to eastward from the Ocean House area toward Main Beach. The crew will begin disassembling pipe and moving it eastward in that process.

30 October 2023

Welcome to the project information website for the 2023 Engineered Beach Renourishment Project for the Orange Beach/Gulf State Park/Gulf Shores Beach Restoration Project, originally constructed in 2001-2005. Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company, LLC commenced offshore dredging operations this afternoon to begin bringing sand to the East Beach Gulf Shores segment of the project along the 900 block of West Beach Blvd. (see Google map, below). This operation will run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week until the project is complete to restore the beaches following Hurricanes Nate and Sally. In total the project will place over 2 million cubic yards of sand along five segments of the shoreline from Laguna Key westward to the AL/FL State Line on Perdido Key. The project is expected to last through February 2024.

Project Status Update

Prior Updates