Fort Pierce beachfill about to begin

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District will soon begin works on the $8.5 million Fort Pierce beach renourishment project in Florida.

Starting in mid-April, this shore protection project will entail sand replenishment of approximately 1.3 miles of beach immediately south of the Fort Pierce Inlet, reported the Corps.

It is the continuation of a federal project initially constructed in 1971 with an additional 14 periodic and emergency re-nourishments carried out since 1999.

The beachfill is being executed under an $8.5 million contract awarded to Great Lakes Dredge & Dock, LLC, of Oak Brook, Illinois, in September 2020.

It calls for the placement of approximately 460,000 cubic yards of material drawn from the St. Lucie Shoals Complex, an Outer Continental Shelf borrow area located some 3.5 miles offshore. Offloading will take place from inside the south jetty of Fort Pierce Inlet.

According to USACE, mobilization activities for the project will begin on April 9, and dredging and placement will begin on or about April 20. Dredging operations will be completed on or about May 13 and final demobilization on or about May 31.

The project is 77.76 percent funded by the federal government and 22.24 percent funded by St. Lucie County.