PROJECT TRACKER · VERIFIED THROUGH SEPTEMBER 28, 2026
Maintained, source-backed project tracker — not a standard article. Evidence cutoff: September 28, 2026.
Dauphin Island West End Restoration: Project Status, Funding and Construction Timeline
The Dauphin Island West End beach and dune restoration has approved implementation funding and, according to the Town, its required permits. Private easements are still being gathered. Final design and bidding are scheduled for fall 2026; construction is planned for winter 2027. As of September 28, 2026, our review found no publicly posted West End construction solicitation, contract award, notice to proceed or evidence of physical construction. An absence from the reviewed public records does not establish that no unpublished activity exists.
FUNDED / PERMITTED / DESIGN AND EASEMENTS IN PROGRESS; CONSTRUCTION NOT VERIFIED
Has Construction Started?
No public evidence of West End physical construction was located by September 28, 2026. The Town schedules bidding for fall 2026 and construction commencement for winter 2027. Those are plans, not proof of a solicitation, contractor mobilization, or a guaranteed start date. We will update this answer when a dated bid, award, NTP or construction record appears.
This answer will be updated when:
- •bid solicitation is posted
- •contractor is selected
- •contract is awarded
- •contract is executed
- •notice to proceed is issued
- •mobilization occurs
- •physical work begins
Do not automatically update the construction status merely because winter 2027 arrives.
Planned vs. Documented Milestones
30% design
Documented result: Completed
Next proof: N/A
Further design
Documented result: Documented progress toward 60% in summer 2025
Next proof: Accepted design milestone
Final design
Documented result: Planned / completion unverified
Next proof: Approved final drawing set
Major implementation funding
Documented result: $38m approved June 2026
Next proof: Obligation/disbursement record
USACE permit
Documented result: Approved December 8, 2025 per Council
Next proof: Issued instrument/conditions for register
ADEM and Beach Act permits
Documented result: Town reports issued
Next proof: Issued instruments/dates
Private easements
Documented result: Collection in progress
Next proof: Dated signed/recorded status
Construction bid
Documented result: Planned for fall; notice not located
Next proof: Posted West End IFB
Contractor, award, NTP
Documented result: Unknown / not located
Next proof: Separate dated selection, contract, NTP
Physical work
Documented result: Not established
Next proof: Documented mobilization/work
Completion
Documented result: Unknown
Next proof: Contract schedule and closeout
Project Status Tracker
NOT LOCATED means the evidence was not found in reviewed public records. It does not mean the event has been proven not to exist.
Funding
APPROVEDEvidence: RESTORE Council FPL vote, 2026-06-10; Council finding, June 2026; Town project page, checked 2026-09-28
Evidence date: 2026-06-10
Verification date: 2026-09-28
$38m implementation funding approved. Town reports full construction funding secured. Obligation and spending unverified.
What changes this status: Signed award/obligation record and disbursement reports.
Permits
REPORTED ISSUEDEvidence: Council finding identifies USACE approval 2025-12-08; Town page checked 2026-09-28 reports USACE, ADEM and Beach Act permits
Evidence date: 2025-12-08
Verification date: 2026-09-28
USACE approval independently dated by Council; state issuance dates, numbers and operative conditions not verified in this packet.
What changes this status: Actual issued state instruments and complete issued USACE permit.
Private easements
IN PROGRESSEvidence: Town's Aug. 24 map and schedule
Evidence date: 2026-08-24
Verification date: 2026-09-28
Town reports POA easement recorded; continues collecting individual easements May–December 2026. No count established.
What changes this status: New dated Town count/map and recorded-instrument evidence.
Final design
PLANNEDEvidence: Town page, checked 2026-09-28
Verification date: 2026-09-28
Fall 2026 completion target; no final approved construction drawings established.
What changes this status: Dated 100% design acceptance/final drawing set.
Bidding
NOT LOCATEDEvidence: Town bid notices and Town page, checked 2026-09-28
Verification date: 2026-09-28
Bidding scheduled fall 2026; no West End construction solicitation found in reviewed notices.
What changes this status: West End IFB/RFP with issue date and scope.
Contractor
UNKNOWNEvidence: Town project and bid pages, checked 2026-09-28
Verification date: 2026-09-28
No selected construction firm verified. Design consultants are not the construction contractor.
What changes this status: Official selection and executed agreement.
Construction contract
UNKNOWNEvidence: Town project and bid pages, checked 2026-09-28
Verification date: 2026-09-28
No award or execution record found.
What changes this status: Council award and signed contract.
Notice to proceed
NOT LOCATEDEvidence: Reviewed public project/procurement records, checked 2026-09-28
Verification date: 2026-09-28
No NTP located.
What changes this status: Dated NTP.
Physical construction
NOT LOCATEDEvidence: Town's future schedule and reviewed records, checked 2026-09-28
Verification date: 2026-09-28
No evidence of West End physical work located. Winter 2027 is a target.
What changes this status: Dated mobilization/field notice, documented on-site work or construction report.
Completion
UNKNOWNEvidence: Town page, checked 2026-09-28
Verification date: 2026-09-28
No completion date confirmed. Five-year RESTORE project duration is not the sand-placement period.
What changes this status: Contract schedule, substantial-completion certificate.
What Is Being Built?
Funded 2026 RESTORE description — project targets, not surveyed as-built measurements.
Linear dune
approximately 3.5 miles
Beach-compatible sand
approximately 2.4 million cubic yards
Total area
approximately 200 acres
Sandy water bottoms
approximately 40 acres
Beach/dune habitat
approximately 160 acres
How the project design descriptions changed
The older Town presentation anticipated native dune vegetation, a varying 170–590-foot initial beach width and approximately 40 acres of dune plus 200 acres of beach. Those older preliminary figures are not the current funded 40+160-acre breakdown. The USACE public notice describes borrow areas on the Mobile Pass ebb tidal shoal near Sand Island Lighthouse and a dredged-material pipeline corridor. The Town says the eventual dune location, walkovers and access points depend on final design/easements.
Funding Tracker
The Town says full construction funding is secured. The Council approved $38m for implementation; earlier $993k and $1.25m support design/permitting; a separate $5m appropriation concerns dredged material. The reviewed public records do not show an authoritative current total expected cost, reconcile the older $50m–$60m estimate with the funded scope, or reveal obligation/drawdown/spending. The proposal's $30m for East End and Graveline Bay is another project, excluded from this ledger.
Do NOT calculate a $43 million project by adding $38 million and $5 million. Do NOT represent funding approval as funds spent.
NFWF Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund
Initial land-side / 30% design
- Amount:
- $993,000
- Announced:
- Early planning support
- Approved/received:
- RESTORE proposal calls funding received; amount cited in proposal
- Obligated:
- Unknown
- Spent:
- Unknown
Separate preparatory funding, not $38m implementation line.
GOMESA
Further design and permitting
- Amount:
- $1,250,000
- Announced:
- Committed in 2024 according to proposal narrative
- Approved/received:
- Proposal lists received for 30%–100% design/permitting
- Obligated:
- Unknown
- Spent:
- Unknown
Design assignment does not prove final design completion.
RESTORE Council 2026 FPL
Implementation / construction, inspection and monitoring
- Amount:
- $38,000,000
- Announced:
- Requested in proposal/draft FPL, late 2025
- Approved/received:
- Approved 2026-06-10, confirmed by Council finding
- Obligated:
- Unknown
- Spent:
- Unknown
Proposal budget estimates 97% implementation, 1% CEI, 2% monitoring; estimates are not expenditures.
FY2026 federal appropriations
Beneficial use of Mobile Ship Channel material for West End
- Amount:
- $5,000,000
- Announced:
- Sen. Britt FY26 request
- Approved/received:
- Senator's 2026-01-21 announcement says secured in enacted funding bills
- Obligated:
- Project-level obligation unknown
- Spent:
- Unknown
Relationship to $38m implementation scope and timing unknown. Never calculate $43m project.
Historical overall construction estimate
All-source cost reference
- Amount:
- Approximately $50m–$60m
- Announced:
- Reported in March 2025 coverage
- Approved/received:
- Not an award
- Obligated:
- N/A
- Spent:
- N/A
Historical, secondary-source estimate. No updated official all-source cost reconciliation established.
Permit Register
Application submitted, public comment, approved/issued, conditions reviewed, and construction authorized to commence are independent fields — not a single progress bar.
USACE
SAM-2024-00553-DJL
- Application/notice:
- Town says application January 2025; USACE public notice 2025-02-05, comment deadline March 7
- Issued/approved:
- 2025-12-08, as stated in RESTORE environmental finding
- Conditions verified:
- No
Scope and limitation: Federal dredging and placement/discharge authorization for West End beach/dune proposal. Public notice and permit sketches are not final contractor instructions.
ADEM
State authorization
- Application/notice:
- Town joint application library; Town says January 2025 filing
- Issued/approved:
- Town reports issued; instrument number and date not verified
- Conditions verified:
- No
Scope and limitation: Do not infer issuance details from application index.
ADCNR / Alabama Beach Project Act
Beach project / designated mean-high-tide-line
- Application/notice:
- Town Beach Act application library; March 6, 2025 meeting notice
- Issued/approved:
- Town reports issued; instrument number and date not verified
- Conditions verified:
- No
Scope and limitation: Beach project and designated mean-high-tide-line process. Do not determine any individual boundary/title from overview map.
RESTORE Council
Environmental finding (FONSI)
- Application/notice:
- 2026 FPL comment period 2025-11-20 to 2026-01-02
- Issued/approved:
- Signed FONSI, June 2026
- Conditions verified:
- Incorporates USACE assessment and requires adherence to applicable conditions; individual permit conditions not reproduced here
Scope and limitation: Environmental review for funding approval, not construction NTP.
Property Easements
Why easements are requested
The Town seeks construction and monitoring rights on affected private land to place sand, shape and vegetate improvements, survey and maintain them. The described area is property-specific and generally runs from a parcel's southern boundary toward about the +5-foot contour or an existing structure. A project schematic is illustrative, not a parcel survey.
Duration and ownership
The older process letter describes rights to build, monitor and maintain in perpetuity; call this an ongoing construction-and-monitoring easement, not a temporary access form. The Town's FAQ says an owner continues to own the private property subject to the granted rights. Neither statement adjudicates where a particular parcel's boundary lies.
If an owner does not sign
The Town currently says it will place no sand on that property, proceed seaward of its property line, and that a low area may remain. Avoid claiming that no sand can be placed offshore/in front of it, or that an individual lot will flood.
Trackable facts
Town reports POA construction easement recorded (recording instrument/date not independently checked). Its posted easements received map is dated 2026-08-24, captioned Due October 1st. The Town separately describes individual collection May–December 2026. Show October 1 as a communicated return date and December as broader process window; do not silently make one replace the other. No reliable current count.
POA easement: reported recorded (instrument not verified) · Map snapshot: 2026-08-24 · October 1 return date · May–December 2026 collection period
Status definitions
- requested = Town sought a grant
- received = Town says it received paperwork
- executed = Signed by necessary parties (only if evidenced)
- recorded = Accepted into probate land records (only with instrument evidence or attributed Town claim)
These statuses do not automatically imply one another. No address eligibility or participation checker. No parcel-level deed database.
Procurement Watch
Key distinctions:
- •A bidder is not an awardee.
- •An approved award is not an executed contract.
- •An executed contract is not an NTP.
- •An NTP is not proof that dredging has begun.
The Mobile County Dauphin Island Causeway Shoreline Restoration Phase 3 solicitation is a different project and must never trigger this tracker.
Project Timeline
Solid markers = documented past events. Outlined markers = planned future events. Do not change planned milestones to completed merely because their projected date passes.
STUDY · DOCUMENTED
2020
USACE/USGS barrier-island assessment identified West End as priority
Scientific antecedent, not a permit.
PLANNING · REPORTED
Winter 2022
NFWF preliminary engineering support
Start of initial design phase.
PLANNING · DOCUMENTED
2024-10-16
Public project presentation
Preliminary footprint and alternatives.
APPLICATION · DOCUMENTED
2024-12-11
Town Beach Act/designated line hearing
Hearing step, not proof of final recording.
APPLICATION · DOCUMENTED
2025-02-05
USACE SAM-2024-00553-DJL public notice
Federal comment process; deadline March 7.
DESIGN · REPORTED
Summer 2025
Progress toward 60%; dune alignment discussed
Later designs can differ from 30% sheets.
FUNDING · DOCUMENTED
2025-11-20 to 2026-01-02
RESTORE draft FPL comment window
$38m then proposed.
PERMIT · DOCUMENTED
2025-12-08
USACE permit approval date identified by Council
Permit milestone; conditions still to inspect.
FUNDING · DOCUMENTED
2026-01-21
$5m FY26 West End dredged-material funding announced as secured
Separate federal funding line.
FUNDING · DOCUMENTED
2026-06-10
RESTORE Council approves $38m
Proposal becomes approved implementation funding.
PERMIT · DOCUMENTED
June 2026
RESTORE Council environmental finding signed
Funding-associated environmental review; not NTP.
EASEMENT · REPORTED
May–December 2026
Town gathering individual easements
Do not treat every parcel as received.
EASEMENT · DOCUMENTED
2026-08-24
Town's map of easements received
Dated snapshot, not recording ledger.
EASEMENT · PLANNED
2026-10-01
Map caption's return date
Separate from Town's December collection window.
DESIGN · PLANNED
Fall 2026
Final design and bidding targets
Do not mark as achieved without documents.
CONSTRUCTION · PLANNED
Winter 2027
Town's target to commence construction
No fixed start or finish date.
Frequently Asked Questions
Has construction started?
No public evidence of West End physical construction was located by September 28, 2026. The Town schedules bidding for fall 2026 and construction commencement for winter 2027. Those are plans, not proof of a solicitation, contractor mobilization, or a guaranteed start date.
When will construction start?
Town targets winter 2027 for construction commencement; it is a plan, not a scheduled NTP. No verified start date.
Is the project fully funded?
The Town says full construction funding is secured. The RESTORE Council approved $38m for implementation in June 2026. Earlier $993k and $1.25m support design/permitting. A separate $5m appropriation concerns dredged material. Obligation and spending are unverified.
Who is the contractor?
No selected construction firm has been verified. Design consultants are not the construction contractor. No award or execution record has been found.
What if I do not sign an easement?
The Town says it will not put sand on your property and will proceed seaward of the property line; a low area could remain. Individual effects require the final plans and a property survey.
Is the easement permanent?
Older Town materials describe continuing construction, monitoring and maintenance rights in perpetuity; the exact recorded text controls for any given property.
Will sand go in front of my property?
The Town's statement concerns placement on an unsigned private parcel. It does not provide a parcel-specific answer about offshore sand placement or final dune geometry.
Will I need a walkover?
The Town says one may be necessary where a completed dune affects access; placement depends on final design, easements, ordinances and permits. No address determination is available here.
Will beach access change?
The Town says its project will preserve existing access patterns; the proposal discusses raising side-road dune crossings. Exact construction-phase access plans and finished crossings are unverified.
Will parts of the beach close?
No final contractor closure schedule was located. Do not expect unrestricted access during construction.
Where will the sand come from?
Proposed borrow areas lie on the offshore Mobile Pass shoal near Sand Island Lighthouse; a pipeline corridor is shown in permit materials. Final operations must follow the issued permits and contractor plan.
Will the project prevent flooding?
It aims to reduce erosion and strengthen the beach/dune system; no reviewed engineering record guarantees flood prevention or protection of a particular home.
When will construction finish?
No verified completion date. The five-year RESTORE project duration is not the sand-placement period.
What does the map show?
The Town's August 24, 2026 easement map is a dated snapshot of easements received, not a recording ledger or deed database. It does not determine parcel-level participation.
What is the difference between an approved permit and construction approval?
An approved permit authorizes the proposed work under conditions; it is not a notice to proceed or evidence that construction has begun. Construction requires a separate contract, NTP and mobilization.
Primary-Source Document Library
West End project page and four-sheet easement map
Town; page checked 2026-09-28, map 2026-08-24
Establishes: Town's funding/permit claims, easement policy, future schedule, dated snapshot
Does not establish: State permit numbers/conditions, final construction award, signed deed count
2026 FPL decision / environmental finding
RESTORE Council; vote 2026-06-10, finding June
Establishes: $38m approved, USACE permit approval date, environmental finding
Does not establish: Fund disbursement, contractor NTP
West End implementation proposal
Alabama/ADCNR to RESTORE Council; proposed before June approval
Establishes: $38m request, 2.4m cubic yards, habitat targets, preliminary budget shares, separate planning support
Does not establish: Actual spending, final design, issuance of permits (it says pending at proposal time)
Alabama approval announcement
ADCNR; 2026-06-11
Establishes: June 10 vote and 40+160-acre current description
Does not establish: Contract or mobilization
USACE public notice SAM-2024-00553-DJL
USACE; 2025-02-05
Establishes: Application scope, offshore borrow areas, review process
Does not establish: Issued permit or final conditions
Joint USACE/ADEM application index and technical attachments
Town; Jan 2025 application era
Establishes: Preliminary design, sketches, draft easement, borrow study and monitoring plan
Does not establish: Issued state authorization or final construction sheets
Beach Project Act application index
Town; Jan 2025 application era
Establishes: State application and supporting materials
Does not establish: Issuance date, recorded line for a particular parcel
March 6 joint meeting notice
ADCNR/ADEM; 2025-02-04
Establishes: Meeting on pending state application
Does not establish: Approval
October 2024 and December 2024 presentations
Town; 2024-10-16 and 2024-12-11
Establishes: Early design and hearing process
Does not establish: Current final dimensions or current funding
Fact sheets 1–6 and FAQ
Town; 2022–summer 2025
Establishes: Development history and owner's questions
Does not establish: Current funding/permit status where superseded
Owner process letter
Town; older/undated letter referencing December hearing
Establishes: Town's description of designated line and perpetual easement rights
Does not establish: Executed deed text for any given owner
FY26 appropriations announcement
Sen. Katie Britt; 2026-01-21
Establishes: Separate $5m secured announcement and purpose
Does not establish: Its inclusion in the RESTORE budget or amount spent
Town bid-notices index
Town; checked 2026-09-28
Establishes: No West End listing observed in reviewed notices
Does not establish: Proof no other solicitation or unpublished procurement exists
NOT YET VERIFIED ONLINE
Complete issued USACE permit
NOT YET VERIFIED ONLINE
ADEM issued instrument
NOT YET VERIFIED ONLINE
Beach Act approval / recorded designated line
NOT YET VERIFIED ONLINE
POA recording instrument
NOT YET VERIFIED ONLINE
Final design
NOT YET VERIFIED ONLINE
West End bid solicitation (IFB/RFP)
NOT YET VERIFIED ONLINE
Award
NOT YET VERIFIED ONLINE
Contract
NOT YET VERIFIED ONLINE
Notice to proceed (NTP)
Update Log
2026-09-28 — Tracker baseline established
Tracker baseline established. Council-approved $38m implementation funding and December 8, 2025 USACE approval date documented; Town-reported state permits and POA easement labeled as attributed claims. Town easement snapshot dated August 24 and construction target winter 2027. No West End solicitation, award, NTP or construction evidence located in reviewed public sources. Initial version records unresolved funding reconciliation, issued state permit details and parcel easement counts as unknown. Sources: Town project and bid pages, RESTORE proposal and finding, ADCNR announcement, USACE notice.
Related Dauphin Island Coverage
Official Project Maps
Official project maps (Town)
Project footprint shown in official preliminary/permit materials; final design and parcel treatment may change.
View official mapsUSACE public notice — borrow areas and pipeline corridor
Offshore borrow-area and proposed pipeline overview — proposed/permitted, not an as-built route.
View USACE noticeTown easement map (August 24, 2026 snapshot)
Town's August 24, 2026 four-sheet easement snapshot — not a current deed record.
View easement map