Sand replenishment project scheduled to conclude by March 10 in Solana Beach

The sand replenishment project in Solana Beach is scheduled to be completed by March 10, Mayor Lesa Heebner said during a Feb. 28 City Council meeting.

The long-anticipated project, which dates back to a request from the city to the Army Corps of Engineers in 2000, is designed to combat the effects of erosion along the shoreline.

The city announced in December that a pipeline was installed to begin transporting the sand that is being used for the project, which extends from the Tide Park public beach stairway to the city’s southern border.

Sand replenishment started around mid January.

Since then, contractors have been working every day from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. to place about 600,000 cubic yards of sand on the beach so far, according to the city, with another 100,000 to be added. The sand is being sourced near the mouth of the San Dieguito River.

The Del Mar Shores beach access stairs will be closed during the completion of the project, according to the city. The Seascape Sur stairs will reopen.

“We again wish to thank the community for their support and patience throughout this project, and hope everyone enjoys the more than 700,000 cubic yards of high quality sand placed for the recreational enjoyment of all,” Heebner said during the City Council meeting. “If you haven’t been to see it, go check out our beach, it’s really impressive.”

There will also be about 290,000 cubic yards of “renourishment” sand every 10 years until 2074, bringing the total to about 2.1 million cubic yards of sand throughout the life of the project.

The construction phase of the project will cost approximately $49.5 million, with funding from the city, state and federal governments. The goal is a 150-foot wide beach along 7,200 feet of shoreline with sand sourced from the mouth of the San Dieguito River.

In Solana Beach, the project will result in about 25 acres of new public beach space.

The city of Encinitas, which is included in the project, will have a 50-foot wide beach along approximately 7,800 feet of shoreline spanning from Beacon’s Beach to Boneyard Beach. It includes 340,000 cubic yards of sand with renourishment every five years over the next 50 years.