Atlantic City, N.J. — Beach replenishment efforts are finally underway in Atlantic City, responding to the pressing needs of casinos and their visitors who have struggled with limited beach space over the past two summers.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has initiated a significant project aimed at widening the beaches across Atlantic City and several adjacent towns. This ambitious endeavor will involve the placement of 1.2 million cubic yards of sand along the coastline, which is equivalent to filling approximately 120,000 dump trucks. This sand replenishment is essential to counteract losses incurred from natural tidal processes alongside the more intense storms attributed to climate change.
The last beach replenishment for Atlantic City took place in 2020, and fresh sand was anticipated in 2023. Unfortunately, due to Congress not approving the necessary funding at the time, the $38.2 million allocated for this year arrived too late to benefit the summer season.
While the replenishment is expected to expand the beach for the upcoming tourist season, the ongoing sand shortage has adversely affected local businesses over the past couple of years. Mark Giannantonio, president of the Resorts Casino Hotel, noted that “You have thousands of people here on a nice summer day and there’s no beach for them to go on,” highlighting how this impacts everything from large casinos to small eateries.
The Hard Rock, Ocean, and Resorts casinos are located in the section of Atlantic City that has experienced the most erosion, and they have been advocating for a swifter execution of the beach project. In 2023, Ocean Casino took matters into its own hands by spending $600,000 to transport sand for its beach front; however, this sand was quickly washed away, resulting in an even smaller beach by summer’s end.
“It’s absolutely imperative to have a beach,” stated Bill Callahan, the general manager of Ocean. He emphasized the importance of maintaining the beach to attract visitors, saying it leaves a negative impression when tourists see its absence.
Most of the beach replenishment work will focus on the severely eroded northern part of Atlantic City, with portions of Ventnor also set to receive enhancements. Additionally, neighboring beach towns like Margate and Longport will conduct repairs and improvements, including dune restoration, sand fencing, access paths, crossovers, and the planting of dune grasses.
The Army Corps has indicated that this project is expected to be carried out within a two to four-month timeframe.
In parallel, beach replenishment activities are also progressing in the northern areas of Harvey Cedars, Beach Haven, and Long Beach Township, located on Long Beach Island.