Hancock County beach set to return to original width
ROY HOWARD COMMUNITY JOURNALISM CENTER-Along the Hancock County shoreline, years of erosion have chipped away at the community’s first line of defense against storms.
Now, a $30 million restoration effort aims to rebuild the beach and strengthen protection for the people who live, work, and spend time along the Coast.
Justin Glowacki with the Roy Howard Community Journalism Center reports.
For the first time since the 60s, a portion of Hancock County’s beach is set to return to its original 200-foot width.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is leading the 8-mile restoration that stretches from the Silver Slipper to the Bay Bridge.
Project Manager David Newell says the project comes after years of planning — and is boosted by federal dollars. “That particular project came about as a result of the 2022 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which funded $77 million to projects across the Mississippi Coast.”
Over the years, storms and daily erosion thinned the shoreline, reducing its ability to project U.S. Highway 90, the seawall and nearby homes.
County administrator and tax assessor Jimmie Ladner Junior says a wider beach strengthens that first line of defense. “It’s not just a recreational thing. The main function of it is to protect Beach Boulevard and to protect the properties behind Beach Boulevard.”
Federal dollars cover 65-percent of the 30-million-dollar project.
The county is responsible for the rest — about $9.1 million, which Ladner says they’re covering with a bond, meaning no new taxes for residents. “We’re lucky we have some debt service rolling off, so we don’t anticipate any kind of big increase in taxes.”
Fishermen, residents and retirees in the area say they’re hopeful the restoration will back some bring of what’s been lost over the years. “We still have very beautiful beaches and a good tourist attraction, so I think it’s very worth it.”
“It’d be a big improvement for the people that live here and visit.”
Construction is expected to start soon, and leaders hope the beach will be “substantially complete” by next summer.
