Renourishment of damaged Orłowo beach in Gdynia has begun

Just as the Maritime Office in Gdynia promised, renourishment (including widening and protection) of the Orłowo beach has begun in early June.

The works were planned after heavy sea storms had severely damaged the beach at the turn of January and February this year. Before the sea devoured the Orłowo beach, one of its fragments had been more than 10 metres wide. After the weather had struck, it shrinked in some places down to 10 centimetres or so.

Maritime Office spokesperson Magdalena Kierzkowska said at the time that at a 300-metre section between the Orłowo Pier and Sopot, "the beach has disappeared, and there's maybe 50 percent of it left on the remaining 200 metres".

Kierzkowska informed that the contractor was preparing equipment. "Pipes are being laid on the beach, and then sea pipe will arrive, to which a dredger will be attaching itself," she said, adding that the sand would be transferred through the pipe, as the dredger cannot approach the shore too closely.

The works will start near the City Theatre Summer Stage. Approx. 1 kilometre-long fragment of the beach is to be rebuilt. Due to safety issues, the section stretching up to Gdynia Orłowo Pier is going to be partially closed for the duration of the renourishment process.

In order to replenish the beach, sand from the Baltic floor will be used, that has been dug out during the deepening of the waterway at Gdańsk Northern Port.

"As part of it, we will have over 2 million cubic metres of sediment that can be used to embed in the sea shore," Kierzkowska explained. Approximately 250,000 cubic metres of this sand is to be used at Orłowo beach.

The replenishing works will cost approx. 4.5 million zlotys. In the future, construction of submerged breakwaters is planned in order to partially dissipate the energy with which the waves hit the shore. The project worth around 15-20 million zlotys has been planned for 2023-2024.