MANATEE COUNTY, FL (June 19, 2020) – A contractor for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) will begin an extensive beach renourishment to restock a 5.5-mile stretch of beach northern Holmes Beach to the southern end of Coquina Beach at Longboat Pass.
Crews began mobilizing equipment this week for the project that is scheduled to begin during the first week of July. Construction will start at 78th Street North in Holmes Beach and continue south to Coquina Beach. The project schedule calls for restocking about 300-feet of beach per day, baring weather delays, the project should be complete by the end of October.
"This beach nourishment management program is very much like a roadway or other such infrastructure, as in once it is built, it must be maintained," said Charlie Hunsicker, Manatee County Parks and Natural Resources Director. "The work you see is maintenance that will help ensure continued presence of a sandy beach and storm protection for the upland, as well as provide important nesting habitat for endangered sea turtles and shorebirds."
Portions of the beach will be closed during active construction, preventing the public from accessing that area of the shore. The progress will be updated throughout construction and a list of frequently asked questions are available at mymanatee.org/beachproject.
Residents and business owners who have questions about the project may reach David Ruderman in the USACE Corporate Communication Office, at [email protected] or by calling (904) 232-1623.
The awarded project cost is $17.3 million. The federal cost share is $8 million. The State of Florida is contributing $4.6 million and the County is contributing $4.6 million in tourism tax revenues..
The sand will be delivered by barge from an offshore borrow area about 2,000 feet offshore of the north end of Anna Maria Island, near Passage Key. The sand is dredged from the offshore borrow areas by a hydraulic cutter suction dredge, then pumped through a pipeline to the beach as a water/sand slurry. The submerged pipeline comes ashore onto the beach at a designated landing location, and connects to the shore pipeline, which runs laterally along the dry beach. The sand slurry is discharged from the pipeline and bulldozers work the sand to fill the designed construction template.
The USACE awarded the project to Marinex Construction earlier this year.
For more information on Manatee County Government, visit www.mymanatee.org or call (941) 748-4501. You can also follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/manatee.county.fl and on Twitter, @ManateeGov.
