WILMINGTON — Work on three beach renourishment projects is getting under way along North Carolina's southeast coast.

The price tag for the three projects is more than $26 million. Sand will be poured on the beaches that have eroded in recent years.

Bob Kiestler with the Army Corps of Engineers in Wilmington says the first project involves dredging the Wilmington shipping channel.

Almost 2 million cubic yards of sand will be removed from the bar at the mouth of the Cape Fear River and used to rebuild the beaches on Bald Head Island.

There are also renourishment projects planned for Carolina Beach and Kure Beach.