Long-term repair to Charlestown Breachway completes

The long-term repair project of the Charlestown Breachway is now complete.

The $8.4M project included breachway restoration, channel dredging, beach renourishment with the creation of two sand dunes and plantings planned for fall.

According to the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM), $5M was contributed through their request and allocated by the State through the Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC), $2M from CRMC for dredging, and $1.4M provided by the Town of Charlestown.

For the project, dredged material was reused to restore the town beach, repair erosion along the wall’s west side, and construct two storm-resilient dunes on the same side.

This work has restored the breachway’s structural integrity, improved navigation, stabilized the coastline against climate impacts, and preserved water flow in and out of Ninigret Pond to maintain ecological balance and water quality. 

Work began last November and was completed in late March 2026.