Dune Road Dredging Complete

Beach’s berms and dunes have doubled in size along Dune Road.

Two stabilization projects in the area battered by winter storms have been completed ahead of schedule.

In February, Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company began its $10.7-million dredging project west of the Shinnecock Inlet near the east end of Dune Road in Hampton Bays. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers hired the company to pump nearly 600,000 cubic yards of sand onto the vital barrier beach to bring it and the dune up to the design standard of the West of Shinnecock Inlet emergency replenishment project, protecting the mainland.

“It’s a very impressive, very large beach. It looks beautiful,” Southampton Town Supervisor Jay Schneiderman said, pointing to the new, clean sand. “It’s definitely one of the widest beaches around and hopefully it will stay that way.”

The area is home to three restaurants, the Shinnecock Commercial Fishing dock, and a Suffolk County park. The area beach and its dune had been repeatedly washed away during end-of-2019 storms, with restoration efforts made by the state Department of Transportation, Suffolk County Department of Public Works, and Southampton Town highway crews.

“With local restaurants and businesses, including the second largest commercial fishing dock in New York, operating in the affected area, the continued progress of the area’s restoration is continued good news for our local economy,” Zeldin said.

This West of Shinnecock Inlet project restored the area to its 2005 authorization level — a 15-foot-high dune with a 140-foot-wide beach berm from the toe of the dune.

A nourishment project along the ocean side of Dune Road in Westhampton Beach has also been completed.

On November 25, Weeks Marine began the $22.3-million project, by relocating 1.2 million cubic yards of sand. It provided for a protective beach berm and dune west of Groin 15 and affected mainland communities of Moriches Bay.

“With our congressional district nearly completely surrounded by water, our area’s infrastructure includes our maritime infrastructure, and ensuring its integrity is vital to protecting our communities,” Zeldin said.

desiree@indyeastend.com