Dredging operations related to the Fort Pierce Shore Protection Project will start mid-April, announced the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District.
The project will place 385,000 cubic yards of sand on just under one mile of eroded beach in St. Lucie County. Sand placement will start immediately adjacent to the Fort Pierce Inlet South Jetty and move southward.
The project will reconstruct areas of eroded beach and provide hurricane storm damage reduction. A side benefit to the project is that it helps restore shorebird and marine turtle habitat, as well as improves recreational opportunities in the area.
The Corps awarded the $6.8 million contract to Great Lakes Dredge & Dock of Oakbrook, Illinois in December 2017.
According to USACE, GLDD will begin mobilization activities first, including equipment arrival and pipeline installation. Crews will dredge beach quality sand from an offshore borrow area and transport it via hopper dredge to the inlet where it will be pumped onto the beach via a pipeline.
“ A team will use heavy equipment on the beach to move the sand around to create the design berm. Dredging operations will run 24 hours/7 days a week, weather permitting ,” reported the Corps.
The project’s completion date is set for no later than May 31.