Planning a spring break trip to Myrtle Beach, SC? At least one beach will be closed

Beach closures across Myrtle Beach could affect travelers’ spring break plans in the Grand Strand.

An ocean outfall project and beach renourishment may leave beaches closed as tourists make their way in. Spring break season runs from late February to mid-April, depending on a school or university schedule, according to STS Travel.

Currently, the only beach closed is near the 24th Avenue North beach access in Myrtle Beach.

The city of Myrtle Beach began construction on the ocean outfall project in late 2024 and the beach should reopen near the end of March or early April, said Meredith Denari, the Myrtle Beach director of communications and creative services, in an email to The Sun News.

“People walking the beach near 24th Avenue North are welcome to check out construction from a distance but only from a safe distance,” Denari said.

The ocean outfall will redirect 11 storm water drains to an exit farther out at sea. This will help filter out sediment and trash before the storm water hits the ocean.

Fortunately for spring break tourists, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will likely not start beach renourishment this spring, said Emily Stark, public affairs specialist with the Charleston district of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

“More information on the construction timeline will be released once the contractor’s work plan is finalized and mobilization date has been coordinated,” Stark said in an email to The Sun News. It’s unclear when the process will begin.

Beach renourishment will close 1,000-foot sections of the beach for a few days at a time, The Sun News previously reported. Beachgoers can check the Corps of Engineers website to find any closed beach accesses or updates.

Beach renourishments are necessary every seven to 10 years to minimize storm damage and protect wildlife. Since the last renourishment project was completed in 2018, Grand Strand beaches were eroded by Hurricane Ian in 2022 and Hurricane Debby in 2024.

To supplement eroded sediment, sand dredged from “borrow areas” offshore is brought to the beach. According to Horry County, submerged pipelines carry a slurry of water and sand to the beach, where bulldozers reshape the sand for the renourishment project. At least 200,000 dump trucks worth of material will be deposited onto beaches in the area.