A beach nourishment project in the village of Avon on Hatteras Island is currently expected to begin May 24-26, 2026. Mobilization of equipment will begin May 18, 2026.*

Click here to view Avon Beach Nourishment project updates.

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Click here to view the 2026 Avon beach nourishment project progress map.

A beach nourishment project for the unincorporated village of Buxton on Hatteras Island is expected to begin in mid-June 2026, placing 2 million cubic yards of sand onto the beach over a period of approximately 95 days, depending on weather.* 

Click here to view Buxton Beach Nourishment project updates.

Click here to view the 2026 Buxton beach nourishment map.

A beach nourishment project is scheduled to take place in the Town of Nags Head between May 2026 and July 2026. The project will place sand on the beach from 2919 South Virginia Dare Trail to, and including, 10435 South Old Oregon Inlet Road. Detailed updates will be posted on the Town of Nags Head’s website as they become available.

Click here to view the 2026 Nags Head beach nourishment construction progress map. 

Click here to view the latest updates from the Town of Nags Head.

The dredge assigned to the south Nags Head beach nourishment project area is expected to arrive and begin operations later this week. Construction will start at the submerged pipeline landing point near Camelot Street, in the 9700 block of South Old Oregon Inlet Road. Work will proceed north to the Juncos Street public beach access in the 9600 block of South Old Oregon Inlet Road before crews return to Camelot Street and continue south to the end of the project area near the 10435 block of South Old Oregon Inlet Road. The dredge will then progress towards other landing points as it moves towards Jennette's Pier later in the summer.

The dredge assigned to the northern Nags Head project area is currently expected to arrive on or around May 26. This dredge is expected to begin work at the northernmost landing point just south of Nags Head Pier in the vicinity of the 3400 block of South Virginia Dare Trail. Construction will move north to 2919 South Virginia Dare Trail and then back to the landing point to head south. The dredge will then progress towards other landing points as it moves towards Jennette's Pier later in the summer.

Work is now expected to be complete sometime in late July, but this could change due to weather or other project-related factors. We'll post more information as the project progresses.

Due to beach nourishment construction, the Juncos Street public beach access is temporarily closed. During this time, the lifeguard stand normally located at Juncos Street will be relocated to Jackob Street.

May 8, 2026 Town of Nags Head Beach Nourishment Update

Beach nourishment construction is now expected to start in late May 2026; however, Weeks Marine, the dredging contractor, is now staging equipment to prepare for the arrival of the two dredges that will be a part of the project. 

Expect temporary closures of the Conch Street and Juncos Street public beach accesses this weekend. Additional closures of these beach accesses, and other drive over accesses, will take place as the project progresses.

**As Weeks Marine begins staging equipment for the project, some beach drive-over accesses, such as those at Conch Street (near the 3600 block of South Virginia Dare Trail) and Juncos Streets (9500 block of South Old Oregon Inlet  Road), will be actively used by construction vehicles and crews. For everyone’s safety, please avoid setting up chairs, towels, tents, or other belongings in or near these drive aisles, and be mindful of construction traffic moving to and from the beach.**

Estimated Start Date: Late Summer 2026/Fall 2026 
Timeline: 45-60 days

During the August 4, 2025 Dare County Board of Commissioners meeting, commissioners unanimously approved a contract with Coastal Science and Engineering (CSE), adopted a related budget amendment and authorized Dare County Manager Bobby Outten to sign the agreement—advancing the Buxton terminal groin repair project as part of the broader 2026 beach nourishment project that is currently being planned for the Village of Buxton. The approved $288,320 contract with CSE covers professional services, including bid preparation, construction oversight and project management for the repair. The budget amendment reallocates $288,320 from the Beach Nourishment Reserve Fund to fund this phase of the project.

The Buxton terminal groin was originally constructed to help stabilize the shoreline and reduce erosion by trapping sand and protecting N.C. Highway 12. Over time, portions of the groin have become buried or damaged due to shifting sands and storm impacts. During the March 3, 2025 Dare County Board of Commissioners meeting, Outten reported that engineering assessments found at least 50 percent of the groin remains intact, qualifying it for repair under state and federal permitting guidelines. Repairing the groin is considered a critical component of the upcoming nourishment project, as it plays a vital role in maintaining the beach profile and protecting infrastructure from ongoing coastal erosion.

Next, CSE will submit a terminal groin repair permit application to the necessary regulatory agencies for permitting. If approved, the project can then move forward.

Avon and Buxton Beach Nourishment Update:

Dare County’s contractor, Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company, is currently in the process of mobilizing equipment in Avon, where beach nourishment is now expected to begin before the end of May 2026. Great Lakes estimates that it will take approximately 2 weeks (14 days) to place approximately 375,000 cubic yards of material on the beach in Avon (weather dependent). The contractor then expects it to take approximately one week to demobilize all of their equipment and begin moving it to Buxton. 

During a special Dare County Board of Commissioners meeting held on Monday, May 11, 2026, the board voted to move forward with a larger beach nourishment project in Buxton than initially planned—with the expectation that approximately $30.4 million in FEMA funding, which is currently in Congressional Review, will be awarded to Dare County for the project in the coming weeks. 

The updated plan that was approved by the Dare County Board of Commissioners on Monday, May 11, 2026 increases the Buxton nourishment project from the previously approved 1,351,616 cubic yards to 2 million cubic yards—an increase of 648,384 cubic yards of sand. Beach nourishment in Buxton is currently expected to begin in mid-June 2026 (weather dependent).*

*Please note that this information is subject to change. More detailed information regarding schedules and timelines for beach nourishment projects in Dare County will be provided as it becomes available. 

Dare County’s contractor, Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company, is planning to start beach nourishment in the Village of Avon, prior to performing beach nourishment in the Village of Buxton. The exact location where they will begin in Avon has not yet been determined by the contractor. Great Lakes expects to start pumping sand onto the beach in Avon between May 6, 2026 and May 14, 2026, depending on weather conditions. 

Great Lakes currently estimates that it will take approximately 2 weeks (14 days) to place approximately 375,000 cubic yards of material on the beaches in Avon (weather dependent). The contactor also expects it to take approximately one week to demobilize all of their equipment and begin moving it to Buxton.

Great Lakes expects to start pumping sand on the north end of Buxton and then continue working south; however, this is subject to change based on their ability to do so. Great Lakes expects to start placing material on the beaches in Buxton the first week of June 2026. Great Lakes expects for the base amount of approximately 1,351,616 cubic yards to take approximately 65 days to place on the beach in Buxton (weather dependent). If the county receives notification from FEMA regarding additional funding, more material will be placed on the beach, which could extend the project in Buxton until end of September 2026. 

During the Dare County Board of Commissioners meeting on Thursday, February 12, 2026, Dare County Chief Financial Officer Matt Motyka shared an overview of the county’s Beach Nourishment Model before providing an update on the projects that are scheduled for 2026, which include those planned to take place within the unincorporated villages of Buxton and Avon on Hatteras Island, as well as the Town of Nags Head. 

Due to rising construction and dredging costs since the most recent nourishment projects were completed in 2022, the county is reviewing and refining its funding model to ensure the Beach Nourishment Fund remains sustainable. Costs are increasing faster than revenues flowing into the fund, which is supported primarily by the Occupancy Tax. 

Motyka also noted that there is uncertainty regarding FEMA reimbursement for the planned 2026 beach nourishment projects in Buxton and Avon. If FEMA funding is not received, the county would have fewer financial resources available for the project, which would result in a consequential reduction in the volume of sand placed on the beach. The county is therefore evaluating two scenarios—one that factors in FEMA funding being received and one that does not.

As next steps, Motyka shared that the Town of Nags Head voted at its February 4, 2026 meeting  to proceed with its 2026 beach nourishment project. Additionally, he requested that the Dare County Board of Commissioners authorize an allocation of $13,067,426 from the county’s Beach Nourishment Fund to support the Town of Nags Head project. The Dare County Board of Commissioners voted to approve the allocation, advancing plans for the 2026 nourishment efforts.

The Dare County Board of Commissioners voted during its January 6, 2025 meeting to authorize Dare County Finance Director David Clawson to sign the Designation of Applicant’s Agent (DAA) and State-Applicant Disaster Assistance Agreement (SAA). These agreements are necessary to apply to receive federal and state funding following loss of sand in the project area in Buxton during Potential Tropical Cyclone #8 last September.  

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) declared Dare County eligible for disaster assistance due to the storm’s impacts, which resulted in approximately 175,000 cubic yards of sand loss in Buxton. A post-storm survey conducted by Coastal Science and Engineering placed the cost of replacing this sand at $10.2 million. If the funding is approved, the county plans to integrate this effort into its larger 2026 maintenance project, leveraging efficiencies and cost savings.