Better Galveston Beaches
Galveston beaches get bigger and better after major expansion projects
Galveston is becoming a sandier place. Three beach projects, totaling more than $44 million, are improving the coastline of the island city. The newest expansion, a $19.5 million project spearheaded by the Galveston Park Board in partnership with the City of Galveston and the Texas General Land Office, will widen existing beaches along the Seawall between 12th and 61st streets.
Up to 1 million cubic yards of beach-quality sand dredged from the Galveston Ship Channel will be used to widen the four-mile stretch of beach by 100 to 150 feet, officials announced Wednesday. The project is expected to be completed by the spring of 2017.
But it won't be pretty, as construction equipment, pipes and pipes will be housed at Stewart Beach, a staging area for the project. A 36-inch pipe will remain on the beach during the “pipeline dredge” process that will move sand from the Galveston Ship Channel at Big Reef (east of East Beach) to the project site.
Galveston’s beaches will remain open, with special ramps built over the construction pipes to allow public access to the coast.
It's the third "sand nourishment" project to be undertaken in Galveston since last year. More than a half-mile of beach has been added west of the Seawall at Dellanera RV Park and more than 15 blocks of brand new beach has been built along the Seawall west of 61st Street.
