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New Project to Protect Norfolk Shoreline From Storm Damage

Don Rush

NORFOLK, Va. (AP) - A project will soon get underway to better protect a stretch of Norfolk shoreline from storm damage.

WAVY-TV reports that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will start the $34.5 million project this month. The Corps will put 1.2 million cubic yards of sand along 7.3 miles.

The section of beach goes from the Willoughby Spit near the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel to an area near Little Creek Inlet. The Corps says this largely residential area sits "virtually unprotected."

The project will widen the shoreline to 60 feet. Initial construction is expected to be completed in May of 2017. The Corps says it will be the largest project of its kind for the city.

Don Rush is the News Director at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.