Avalon Begins Sand Backpassing Project to Rebuild Beaches

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

The Avalon Borough Council has awarded a contract to Fred M. Schiavone Construction Inc. to move approximately 63,000 cubic yards of sand from a borrow area south of the Avalon Fishing Pier to eroded beaches between 9th-15th streets in Avalon. The project is expected to begin the week of April 13th and will be conducted during overnight hours Monday through Thursday nights.

Why it matters

Avalon experienced significant beach erosion during severe coastal storms in 2025 and early 2026, and this sand backpassing project aims to rebuild protective dunes, beach paths, and the beach itself to help mitigate future storm damage.

The details

The sand will be scraped from the borrow area between the Fishing Pier and 40th Street and hauled via trucks to the north end of Avalon. During the overnight construction, all beach paths will be closed to the public from 9th Street south to 40th Street for safety. There will be a break in the project over Memorial Day weekend, and Avalon may extend the work further south to 22nd Street if additional sand is available.

• The project is anticipated to begin during the week of April 13th.
• Work will be conducted during overnight hours Monday nights through Thursday nights generally between 8:00pm-6:00am.
• There will be a break in the project during Memorial Day weekend, from Wednesday night, May 20th through Sunday night, May 24th.
• Work will begin again on Monday night, May 25th and continue until the project is complete.

What’s next

If a sand source continues to be available, Avalon may add more work to this contract to extend the project from 15th Street south to 22nd Street.