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Nags Head receives competitive bids for beach nourishment; low 2026 bid about $36.9M
Summary
Town staff reported three bids for a major beach-nourishment project and said Weekes Marine submitted the low 2026 bid (base price about $34.9 million; all-in with alternates ~$36.86 million). The board will review fall-survey results and financing at a mid-month workshop before any award decision in January.
Town engineers and public-works staff briefed the Board of Commissioners on Dec. 3 about bids received for a planned beach-nourishment project and the schedule for decision-making.
Staff said permit applications were submitted earlier in 2025 and permits were received in September. The bid framework permitted bidders to propose construction in either the 2026 or 2027 seasonal windows. Three firms submitted bids: Manson Construction, Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company, and Weekes Marine.
For a 2026 construction window Weekes Marine submitted the low base bid and the transcript records key figures in the Weekes 2026 submission: mobilization and demobilization of $8,500,000, a base unit-price of $11.40 per cubic yard for beach fill, a base-bid total of $34,934,100 and two additive alternates priced at $950,000 each for a combined all-in total of $36,864,100. Staff told the board the engineer's estimate had been roughly $42.49 million and that the low 2026 bid is significantly lower than that estimate.
Staff said the town will review the consultant's fall-survey report and the bids in greater detail at a mid-month workshop (Dec. 17). That workshop will include a presentation on project financing; staff said the board could consider awarding the bid to the lowest responsive, responsible bidder at the January board meeting after that analysis.
Public comments and commissioners' questions focused on cost drivers, scheduling and weather risk. Staff noted the largest cost components are mobilization/demobilization and unit placement; mobilization in the current bids is several million dollars higher than in past projects. Staff also explained the bid contained a suspension-of-work element and that weather and storm-related suspensions are priced in the documents but could still expose the town to additional costs in rare circumstances.
The board did not award the contract at this meeting; staff will return with the fall-survey memo and financing options for further consideration.
