Del. gets $10 million to restore Indian River beaches

The money will be used to restore beach areas near the Indian River Inlet Bridge. (Photo courtesy of Indianriverbridge.com)

Delaware is set to receive $10 million from the federal government to help restore the beaches north of the Indian River Inlet Bridge.

The beaches will be fortified with up to 800,000 cubic yards of sand over the course of the next two winters.

“This $10 million federal investment from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will support our ongoing efforts to protect the coastline north of the Indian River Inlet Bridge,” said Shawn  Garvin, secretary of the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control . “Since the latest dune breach, our DNREC employees have been tirelessly working to rebuild dunes, add sand, and remove debris.”

The federal dollars arrive after two breaches of the area in the past year that caused flooding on Coastal Highway and has caused occasional closures of the bridge.

Allocations come via the bipartisan infrastructure law to aid in the replenishment.

“While the state is moving forward now with a significant replenishment project, this federal funding, combined with state funding, will help us continue these emergency efforts and ensure the long-term resilience of our beaches,” Garvin said. “We appreciate the support from our congressional delegation, especially U.S. Senator Carper, as we will continue to rely on federal assistance for future measures.”