Accomack Board receives update on new Assateague Beach Project

Accomack County Supervisor Billy Joe Tarr and County Administrator Mike Mason attended a US Fish and Wildlife public information session to discuss resilience and restoration efforts, with a particular focus on the relocation of the Assateague public beach.

Mason reported to the Board of Supervisors that the beach relocation project is now fully funded, with design plans 95% complete. Construction is slated to begin in March 2025 and is expected to conclude by April 2026. The project will move the public beach 2.5 miles north, including the development of a new access road and bike trail that will run parallel to a segment of the existing wildlife loop.

New parking lots will be constructed to accommodate the same number of vehicles as the current beach, totaling 961 spaces, and will be strategically positioned to support the beach’s natural westward migration. The southern end of Assateague Island currently shifts approximately 13 feet west annually.

Multiple access paths will lead from the parking lots to the beach, with at least one designed as a boardwalk for disabled access. The construction cost was reduced significantly thanks to a tentative agreement with the Air National Guard under the DOD Innovative Readiness Training Program.

Funding for the project comes from a federal grant. Following the completion of construction, the National Park Service’s Toms Cove Visitor’s Center will be demolished, with operations moving to the Bateman Center.

Tarr expressed optimism about the project’s acceptance, noting that while some opposition may remain. He emphasized the high costs of maintaining the current parking lot and the benefits of the new arrangement.