Dauphin Island Causeway restoration: Phase 3 timeline and details

A major coastal protection project along the Dauphin Island Causeway enters its next phase this fall.

Phase 3 of the Dauphin Island Causeway Shoreline Restoration Project begins in fall 2026, bringing key habitat improvements to the 3.5-mile stretch between Bayfront Park and Cedar Point.

Here is what is happening during this phase and why it matters for Mobile County.

How Phase 3 creates 100 acres of coastal marsh

Crews have already completed two initial steps: constructing a 3.5-mile rock breakwater to block heavy waves and placing 900,000 cubic yards of dredged material behind it.

Those first two phases — which took place from 2023 to 2026 — resulted in the construction of a 100-acre platform.

From fall 2026 through spring 2027, Phase 3 transforms that platform into a functional marsh ecosystem by:

• Carving out tidal creeks to allow natural water flow
• Planting native marsh grasses to stabilize the soil
• Adding oyster shells to support local marine life

Gaps in the breakwaters will allow fish, crabs, shrimp and birds to use the area as a tidal nursery. Vegetation will take approximately three to five years to fully establish.

Why the Dauphin Island Causeway project matters

This multi-year effort serves two primary functions for local infrastructure and the environment:

• Protects the evacuation route: The breakwater and marsh absorb wave energy, protecting the causeway — Dauphin Island’s only access road — from storm surge and erosion.
• Restores lost habitat: The project replaces critical salt marsh lost to decades of coastal erosion.

Work on this phase continues from fall 2026 through spring 2027.