Construction equipment

Lewes officials say they received a permit from DNREC in order to complete this work. This equipment is in place in the Savannah Beach parking lots. 

LEWES, Del. - The City of Lewes says Savannah and Johnnie Walker Beach will be closed starting Monday to remove sand from both of the parking lots.

From March 16th to April 10th, Savannah and Johnnie Walker Beach will be closed to move sand in the parking lots back onto the beaches.

The city says it is trying to complete this work not only ahead of this summer, but before the upcoming horseshoe crab migration season, which is set to start in the coming weeks.

Savannah Beach

Sand is covering multiple parking spots in the Savannah Beach parking lot. 

In some spots in the parking lots, sand is covering entire parking spaces, making it difficult for those to come in and out of the beach access points.

John Schroeder, who lives in Lewes, says he's glad to see the city's efforts after the brutal fall and winter seasons.

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"It's understandable what they're going to do, and the fact that it's only going to be closing for a rather short period of time. We can make do," Schroeder says. "We walk here a lot, so there's a lot of other places to walk in Lewes. Then we'll be back here and glad to see a new beach."

But for Bill Byrne, he says the timing of the closures is odd.

"Spring break, Easter's coming up. There's a lot of people here on weekends now with the weather getting a little bit nicer. But, there's a lot of sand that's out of place, and the benches and things. So, I guess they've got to do what they've got to do, when they can do it."

Johnnie Walker Beach

The Johnnie Walker Beach parking lot has less sand than the Savannah Beach parking lot. However, some spaces are covered with sand. 

Work will start on Johnnie Walker Beach and then move to Savannah Beach. City officials say after renting equipment and paying employees, this job is expected to cost over $100,000. 

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Reporter

Drew Bellinger recently joined the CoastTV News team in August of 2025 as a video journalist. Before earning a Bachelor’s degree in Communications from Towson University in 2024, he completed a General Studies Associate's degree program from the Community College of Baltimore County.

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