Long Beach Begins $11.4 Million Project to Restore Peninsula Beach by Up to 200 Feet
The city is pumping hundreds of thousands of cubic yards of sand onto the Peninsula to rebuild its eroded shoreline following weeks of destructive waves and storm damage.
Emily Nguyen
A major beach restoration project is now underway along the Long Beach Peninsula, where crews are working to rebuild a stretch of coastline severely damaged by powerful waves and coastal erosion.
The $11.4 million Alamitos Bay Entrance Channel Dredging Project is expected to deliver approximately 415,000 cubic yards of sand to Peninsula Beach, potentially extending the shoreline by up to 200 feet.
The project began the week of October 19, 2026, with sand being pumped through a pipeline and distributed along the beach. The goal is to restore lost sand and create a wider buffer between the ocean, the historic boardwalk and nearby homes.
How Did the Long Beach Peninsula Get Here?
Beach erosion has been an ongoing problem along the Peninsula for decades, particularly near its eastern end, where waves continually pull sand away from the shoreline.
The city has routinely moved sand from other sections of the beach to replenish vulnerable areas. However, a series of powerful swells associated with Hurricanes Marie, Polo and Rachel caused extensive damage beginning in September 2026.
Large portions of the historic wooden boardwalk were destroyed, protective coastal structures were damaged, and several oceanfront homes were red-tagged after waves undermined the shoreline.
The damage left sections of the Peninsula with little to no beach separating homes from the ocean, prompting emergency repairs and accelerated restoration efforts.
How Will the Beach Restoration Work?
Rather than transporting all the sand by truck, the city is dredging accumulated sediment from the Alamitos Bay entrance channel and pumping suitable material through a pipeline onto Peninsula Beach.
The project serves two purposes: restoring navigable depths for vessels entering Alamitos Bay and using the recovered sand to rebuild the beach.
The work will focus on the eastern Peninsula, generally between 62nd Place and the jetty near 72nd Place.
Once the sand is deposited, crews will distribute it along the shoreline to create a wider beach. The additional sand is intended to absorb some of the impact from incoming waves and reduce flooding and erosion near the boardwalk and residential properties.
The project was approved by the Long Beach City Council in August 2026, before the most recent destructive storms. The city subsequently accelerated its schedule as coastal conditions worsened.
When Will the Project Be Completed?
According to the city’s published project schedule, construction is expected to continue into February 2027, although weather conditions and other unforeseen circumstances could affect the timeline.
During construction, parking at the 72nd Place public lot will be reduced to accommodate equipment and contractor staging. The overflow parking lot is expected to remain available.
The restoration is an important step toward rebuilding the Peninsula, but it is not a permanent solution to coastal erosion. Sand will continue to move with waves, tides and storms, meaning additional maintenance and longer-term coastal protection measures may still be necessary.
For now, the project represents one of the city’s largest efforts in decades to restore the Peninsula’s disappearing beach.
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