The dune protecting Route 1 around 500 feet north of the Indian River Inlet Bridge in Delaware was eroded by the storm on October 29 to the point where officials stated that guardrails existing east of the road were no longer useful.
The state’s Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control repeatedly added sand to the dune at the inlet since Labor Day, but it was all washed off during the storm, according to The Delaware Daily Times.
State officials utilize a sand bypass system to move sand to the north side of the inlet from the south side of the inlet, The News Journal reports.
Anthony P. Pratt, the state shoreline and waterway administrator, told the media outlet that 23,000 cubic yards have been transferred in this way since Labor Day, according to the media outlet.
State officials have expressed that the current methods of pumping sand will not be enough, the media outlet reports. On October 31, they announced at a temporary solution involving moving both the southbound and northbound traffic onto the lanes that were previously for vehicles heading south. This work is scheduled to be completed by the end of the week.
The impact of erosion on inlets such as this can be mitigated using top products from Impact Absorbents such as Silt Fencing.
