Emergency repairs announced to strengthen Indian River Inlet dunes

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DELAWARE – Governor John Carney has announced emergency repairs to strengthen the dunes at the Indian River Inlet.

This comes after two breaches this year and recent near-breaches of coastal dunes just north of the Indian River Inlet. Carney announced the DelDOT will add additional metal sheets, and DNREC will perform an emergency sand replenishment project in the coming months to protect the beach and Route 1 this winter storm season.

Crews have spent the last few weeks battling erosion in the area, including creating a temporary dune from rocks and sand, and adding truckloads of sand to the ocean beach. DelDOT expects to add additional sheets of steel, installed vertically into the ground to create a wall, in the coming weeks in order to protect the roadway bed.

DNREC is bringing in a dredging contractor that can mobilize in late November to undertake a significant renourishment project that will restore the beach and dune system.