Work on Hilton Head Island's $16 million beach renourishment project is expected to begin today along a section of Port Royal Sound beachfront north of Fish Haul Creek.

The project involves a large dredge machine and about 20,000 feet of pipeline. It will be used to replenish the sand on about six miles of beachfront from near the Westin Resort to the edge of Sea Pines in South Forest Beach, along with sections of South Beach and the sound's beachfront.

The first phase of the project north of the creek will take only a few days to complete, and the work will move to the oceanfront beach as soon as later this week, town engineer Scott Liggett said. Inclement weather could delay the work.

The town and the contractor, Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Co., are using a section of Islanders Beach Park as a staging area, but beachgoers still will be able to use the park.

Work is scheduled to be completed by May. The beach renourishment, which last occurred in 1997, was planned for 2005, but the town delayed the project because the busy 2004 hurricane season created a huge demand for beach-replenishment services.

Contact Tim Donnelly at 706-8145 or tdonnelly@islandpacket.com. To comment on this story, please go to islandpacket.com.