Myrtle Beach oceanfront businesses & hotels to lose beach access. Here’s why

As the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers continues beach renourishment efforts along the Grand Strand, some oceanfront hotels and businesses will temporarily lose access to beaches.

Here’s how people planning a coastal vacation or beach day can plan ahead.

The project supplements eroded sediment with sand dredged offshore to minimize storm damage and protect wildlife. On the beach, bulldozers reshape sand transported in a slurry through submerged pipelines.

During the massive undertaking, contractor Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company will shut off beach access points up to 2,000 feet around active work zones. Strict timelines are impossible, but operating on a 24/7 schedule, work is typically completed within 24 to 72 hours in ideal conditions.

“They work at the mercy of the weather and their equipment, so they can work, work, work and be right on schedule until something breaks or there’s bad weather, and they have a hold up for X amount of time, however much it is, and then they’re paused until that begins again,” said Myrtle Beach Director of Communications and Creative Services Meredith Denari.

However, it appears that closures could happen some time in mid-April.

Beach access closures

During that time, impacted beachfront hotels and businesses will be unable to offer beach access. The city of Myrtle Beach is encouraging hotels to direct guests to alternate access points outside the active construction zone, but visitors can also create their own plans.

Those hoping to walk right out of their oceanfront hotels onto the beach may be disappointed, but they won’t have to go far to access open areas.

The U.S. Army Corp of Engineers Charleston District operates a live construction tracker which shows where beach accesses are open, closed or preparing to close within 48 hours. The map also shows where renourishment has already been completed – but there’s an exception.

Arcadian Shores beach renourishment

Unlike the rest of the Grand Strand, the Arcadian Shores area isn’t featured on the construction tracker. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is using $72 million in federal funding for the Grand Strand Beach Renourishment Project, but a stretch of coast along Arcadian Shores is being financed by local taxpayers because it didn’t meet the Corps’ inclusion criteria.

As it’s not a part of the official Corps project, the Arcadian Shores renourishment isn’t included on the live construction tracker.

Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company, which will complete both the federally funded project and the Arcadian Shores project, is currently working on the northern end of Myrtle Beach coastline. After completing the area shown in red at the north side of the city, the contractor is set to take a break before starting work on the Arcadian Shores area in mid-April.

This story was originally published April 2, 2026 at 5:00 AM.