Ahtna kicks off Estero Island beachfill project

The Estero Island Beach Nourishment and Hurricane Recovery project is now underway, according to the Town of Fort Myers Beach (FL).

The project will dredge approximately 950,000 cubic yards of sand from a nearshore borrow area in the Gulf of Mexico onto Fort Myers Beach.

Ahtna Marine Construction Corporation (Ahtna) is currently transporting and assembling dredge pipe along the permitted pipeline corridor from the nearshore borrow area in the Matanzas Pass ebb shoal to the beach at FDEP Range Monument 178 near 500 Estero Blvd.

Beach operations including transporting equipment and laying pipe along the beach are planned to commence today, July 15.

Dredge pipe will first be laid from borrow area through the corridor onto the beach and then North towards Bowditch Park.

Once set, Ahtna will construct the beach North to South from 100 to 500 Estero Blvd. Then the dredge pipe will be redirected South continuing to construct the engineered beach from North to South.