PHOTO: Ponce de Leon Inlet Dredging in Full Swing

The Ponce de Leon Inlet dredging operations, aimed to remove approximately 130,000 cubic yards of material in the vicinity of the U.S. Coast Guard Buoy R8B, are moving forward, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said in its latest update.

The dredged sand will be placed in the nearshore, off New Smyrna Beach, south of the inlet.

USACE intends to combine a more robust dredging of the Ponce de Leon Inlet with dredging of the Intracoastal Waterway (IWW), in the vicinity of the Ponce de Leon Inlet later this year – with plans to issue a solicitation in September for bids from small businesses to dredge in the winter and spring 2018.

Consolidating these dredging projects is anticipated to result in a cost savings of $1 million to $1.5 million.

It is expected that this maintenance dredging scheme, undertaken by USACE’s hopper dredger Currituck, will be completed by May 19, according to USACE.

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