Third-largest beachfill project kicks off in Panama City Beach

The fifth renourishment cycle of the Panama City Beaches is now underway, with an anticipated completion by early 2022.

According to the city officials, construction mobilization began on September 2, while active dredging and placement of sand on the Carillon Beach started in mid- September.

This renourishment project is taking place along two large project beach segments totaling approximately 12 miles. The “western” project area extends from Pinnacle Port to the City Pier. The “eastern” project area extends from St. Andrews State Park (not including the park) to Ocean Towers.

The project worth $28.5 million is the third largest beachfill event for the Panama City Beach. It calls for the placement of approximately 2.1 million cubic yards of sand on to the heavily eroded beaches.

The officials expect it take approximately 4-5 months for the contractor – Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Co. LLC – to complete this federally-funded project. GLDD also constructed the 2011 beach nourishment project, which was managed and partially federally-funded by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

The initial restoration of the Panama City Beaches in 1998-1999 placed approximately 9.8 million cubic yards of sand along the 18.5 miles of beaches. The 2005-2006 project placed approximately 3.3 million cubic yards of sand along 17.5 miles of beaches, and it was conducted in response to 2004’s Hurricane Ivan.

The 2011 project placed approximately 1.3 million cubic yards of sand along a total of 7.5 miles of the beaches (east and west ends) and was referred to as a “repair” project as it was conducted in response to several storms following Hurricane Ivan. That project also formally incorporated a project at Pinnacle Port and Carillon Beach.

The 2017 project placed approximately 840,000 cy of sand along a total of four project areas which included a half-mile at Pinnacle Port/Carillon Beach, a one-mile segment stretching west from the City Pier, a one-mile segment stretching west from the County Pier, and a one-mile segment stretching from the western end of St. Andrews State Park to Gulf Drive/Hurt Street.