Margate’s dunes will be built during the peak summer rental season

A New Jersey shore town that lost a battle with the state over the construction of beach dunes will now have dunes built on its beaches during the busy summer months.

The Philadelphia Inquirer reports the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will start forming dunes on Margate’s beaches in June and continue through August.

Dune opponents believe the state is getting back at Margate for their opposition. But Army Corps officials say they regularly perform dune work during the height of summer.

Approximately four blocks of beach will be closed off at a time during construction. A 24-hour work schedule is expected.

Mayor Mike Becker says lingering concerns over beach access, draining and accumulating trash have yet to be fully addressed by the Army Corps.

Dunes are also being constructed on in other Absecon Island communities to create a continous line of protection against flooding. It’s a a joint project by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and the Army Corps that involves building engineering beaches and dunes in Margate and Longport and replenishing beaches in Atlantic City and Ventnor.

Crews are set to begin in mid-April and finish by next October, when 3.8 million cubic yards of new sand will be throughout the engineered dune and beach system.

The schedule is as follows: 

Atlantic City: Mid-April through late June.
Longport: Mid-April through late June.
Margate: Late June through late August.
Ventnor: Early September through early October.

The Associated Press and Justin Auciello contributed to this story.