Dispelling Beach Closure Rumors

By Katie McFadden

Is the beach going to be closed due to construction this summer? Not really.

In late March, a website called Secret NYC published an article titled “Goodbye, Rockaway Beach — For Now. Major Closures Heading To The Country’s Largest Urban Beach During Peak Summer Months.” The article, which was quickly shared around local social media pages said, “The Atlantic Shorefront Resiliency Project, which began in 2020, is still going strong and it’s continuing through the 2026 beach season. During this time, 10–15 blocks will be temporarily closed to all access at any given time, with closures shifting in a ‘rolling’ fashion westward from Beach 116th Street and eastward from Beach 143rd Street.”

The information from the article, except for the 2026 part, is also found on an active NYC Parks website about beach closures. However, it appears the Parks website needs updating as that uptown work was completed in the summer of 2023.

What is U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) actually up to? They’re finishing up the remainder of their contract in a few spots. “Remaining construction efforts will continue through this summer but will be confined to specific areas as we approach overall construction completion later this year,” a USACE spokesperson told The Rockaway Times.

Getting into specifics, the spokesperson said, “Onsite work and staging will continue through this summer at B116, with public beach access fully available at B117.  Onsite work to install a temporary crossover at B131 is anticipated to be completed by the end of May.  Other ongoing work sites will include B86 and B106.”

So, as far as USACE is concerned, about four blocks will have work being done or will have machinery in the area, mostly before summer even really gets rolling. As for any closures related to those sites (or limited lifeguards), that will be up to NYC Parks to decide.