Ocean outfall project closes section of Myrtle Beach
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) — Construction crews in Myrtle Beach are closing a section of the beach to complete their next phase of the ocean outfall project.
The beach at 24th Avenue N. will be closed to the public starting next week. Other closures connected to the project run from the area to North Ocean Boulevard and Withers Drive.
The section of the beach closed will be just as wide as its access point. The closure will go into effect on Oct. 24 to complete phase two of the project while keeping the public safe.
City spokesperson Meredith Denari says in the second part, two 84-inch pipes will form one big pipe that connects to the city's stormwater system under Ocean Boulevard. She said one will run underground, while the other will run about 1,500 feet under the Atlantic Ocean.
"It's going to be complete in early 2026, so right now if you're at the beach access at 24th Avenue or anywhere close, you know, you really can't miss it," she said. "When you're here at the beach, you can see they're building the trestle, starting to build the trestle out to the ocean and when it's all complete in 2026, what it's going to do is help filter that stormwater as it goes out into the ocean, and it just helps clean the water in general."
Besides filtering water, Denari said the project will also remove 11 storm pipes off the beach. She said it's a $40 million project with $30 million coming from the state and another couple million they've been saving for years specifically for these projects.
"Something we want our residents and visitors to be aware of is construction crews are going to be pile driving as they build the trestle to go out into the ocean and that can be very loud," she said. "So, the pile-driving going on closest to the beach is supposed to be going on only the month of October right now. I actually haven't heard it yet and I've received no complaints, so I think people understand what's going on and, you know, it is temporary."
Once this project is complete, it'll be the 5th ocean outfall for the city.
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Jackie LiBrizzi is a multimedia journalist at News13. Jackie is originally from Hamilton, New Jersey, and was raised in Piedmont, South Carolina. Jackie joined the News13 team in June 2023 after she graduated as a student-athlete from the University of South Carolina in May 2023. Follow Jackie on X, formerly Twitter, Facebook , or Instagram , and read more of her work here.
