$24.5M 'Babe's Beach' project will add 800,000 cubic yards to Galveston's coastline



>>>See more for where to party after a day on the beach in Galveston... less Once completed, the Babe's Beach project will add 800,000 cubic yards of sand along the seawall beach from 61st Street west toward 83rd Street.

>>>See more for where to party after a day on the beach ... more Once completed, the Babe's Beach project will add 800,000 cubic yards of sand along the seawall beach from 61st Street west toward 83rd Street. Photo: Kirk Sides / Houston Chronicle Photo: Kirk Sides / Houston Chronicle Image 1 of / 30 Caption Close $24.5M 'Babe's Beach' project will add 800,000 cubic yards to Galveston's coastline 1 / 30 Back to Gallery

By late this summer, beachgoers will have much more sand and sun to soak up thanks to a new project from the Galveston Park Board.

Once completed, the Babe's Beach project will add 800,000 cubic yards of sand along the seawall beach from 61st Street west toward 83rd Street, according to Mary Beth Bassett, Public Relations Director for the Galveston Park Board of Trustees. Bassett said the project was named after former state Senator A.R. "Babe" Schwartz, who passed away last year.

"The goal is to widen the stretch of beach in order to provide added recreation to beachgoers and to protect the seawall and the property behind it from storm surges," Bassett said.

In 2015, a similar project created a beach at the same site, according to Bassett. The sand nourishment projects utilize sand dredged from the Galveston Ship Channel that what have otherwise been dumped in the ocean, Bassett said.

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"The dredged sand that is used for the project is rigorously tested to meet federal and state standards," Bassett said. "Physical testing and chemical screening processes are in place to ensure that no contaminants are present in the material."

The total cost of the project is $24.5 million, Bassett said, and sections of the beach will open as they are completed. Final completion of the beach is slated for late summer, she said.

The project is being sponsored by the Galveston Park Board, City of Galveston United States Army Corps of Engineers and the Texas General Land Office.

Rebecca Hennes covers community news. Read her on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and on our subscriber site, houstonchronicle.com. | rebecca.hennes@chron.com | Text CHRON to 77453 to receive breaking news alerts by text message

