Thursday, September 17, 2026
By Outer Banks Voice on September 17, 2026
On Thursday, Sept. 17, Dare County released a progress report on the ongoing Buxton beach nourishment project and the work to repair the southernmost groin near the former Cape Hatteras Lighthouse site.
The beach nourishment project has just moved into its final phase, with a completion date in late September. The groin repair is expected to be substantially completed by or before mid-December. Here is the latest information.
Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company has announced that the 2026 Buxton beach renourishment project entered its final phase on Wednesday afternoon, (September 16), as the contractor completed renourishment along the developed Village of Buxton shoreline and shifted operations northward into the Cape Hatteras National Seashore.
To date, approximately 1.5 million cubic yards of sand—75% of the 2.0-million-cubic-yard total—has been placed on the beach within the project area.
Click here to view the 2026 Buxton beach nourishment project progress map.
With the protective dune and berm in Buxton complete, the remainder of construction activities will consist of widening the beach along a portion of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. Weather permitting, Great Lakes Dredge & Dock remains on track to complete nourishment by the end of September 2026.
Native dune grasses are scheduled for installation on the newly-constructed dune along Buxton in November.
Construction is underway on the trestle in preparation for removing the seaward remnants of the former jetty. Following removal of the old material, new sheet piles will be driven and reinforced with armor stone. The project remains on schedule, with substantial completion anticipated by December 15, 2026, or sooner. Additional details will be posted as more information becomes available.
