Duval County Shore Protection Project in Full Swing

Business & Finance

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District and City of Jacksonville officials have just announced that the work will continue on the Duval County Shore Protection Project throughout the Sea & Sky Spectacular Airshow this weekend.

This will limit public access to the area and beachgoers will need to use 1st St. or 2nd St. to walk around the closed-off construction areas.

On Saturday, beachgoers can expect 1,000-feet of beach closed to public access from Orange St. to Cedar St. in Neptune Beach. On Sunday, 1,000-feet of beach will be closed to public access from Atlantic Blvd. at Town Center to Cherry St. in Neptune Beach.

Duval County Shore Protection Project (SPP) will place sand on seven miles of eroded beaches, including Jacksonville, Neptune and a portion of Atlantic Beach.

The beach project will widen the beach berm between 20 to 60 feet, and raise the elevation of the beach by about 3 to 5 feet. The amount of increased beach width and height will vary along the shoreline.

The Duval County project was initially constructed in 1978-80 and since then, five principal renourishments occurred (1985-87, 1991, 1995, 2005, and 2011) in addition to periodic placement of sand dredged from navigation projects. Beach renourishment occurs about every five to six years to maintain beaches as part of the project.

The Corps awarded the 2016 construction contract June 28 to Great Lakes Dredge & Dock for $13,572,170. The renourishment is funded in partnership with the City of Jacksonville, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, and Duval County; 38.4 percent locally and 61.6 percent federally funded.

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