JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Jacksonville District announces that construction resumes after the holidays for the Miami Beach erosional Hotspots beach renourishment. The $11.9 million project is part of the Miami-Dade County Beach Erosion Control and Hurricane Protection Project.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Miami-Dade County and the City of Miami Beach invite the public to attend an informational meeting regarding the upcoming construction at Miami Beach City Hall Thursday, Jan. 5 at 6 p.m.
The meeting will take place in the first floor conference room behind the two elevators, facing Convention Center Drive. The location for the Miami Beach City Hall is 1700 Convention Center Dr., Miami Beach, Florida, 33139. Parking is available in the City Hall parking garage next to City Hall on Meridian Avenue and 17th Street, the public parking lot in front of City Hall on Convention Center Drive and 17th Street, in addition to street parking.
The Corps’ contractor, Eastman Aggregate Enterprises, LLC of Lake Worth, Florida, plans to mobilize equipment at the access and staging area near 53rd Street Jan. 3, and place sand on the beach in the vicinity of 54th Street Jan. 9.
“Despite a close-call with Hurricane Matthew and challenging conditions including four-to-seven foot waves along the shoreline during their last few weeks of work, Eastman Aggregates placed close to 148,000 cubic yards of sand and successfully completed the first phase of the beach renourishment at 46th Street on schedule. They were demobilized and completed construction operations in that area by Nov. 9,” said Corps project manager Laurel Reichold. “We anticipate that the 54th Street section will go smoothly and be complete by this spring.”
“The Corps and our partners coordinate closely to keep the public informed,” said Reichold. “The public meeting kicks off the second phase of the project in the vicinity of 54th Street. We want to provide seasonal residents and visitors with an opportunity to learn about the project and ask questions. It’s a good reminder for the public that access may be temporarily restricted and to use caution near construction areas.”
Eastman Aggregates will place approximately 70,000 cubic yards of beach-quality sand from an upland sand mine on 1,200 feet of critically eroded shoreline in the vicinity of 54th Street. Eastman will truck-haul sand from the Vulcan Materials Witherspoon Sand Mine and/or the E.R. Jahna Ortona Sand Mine, both located in Moore Haven, southwest of Lake Okeechobee.
The area affected by construction includes the 5300-5500 blocks of Collins Avenue. There is an access and staging areas for trucks, equipment and sand at the 53rd Street parking lot at Beach View Park.
The contractor will work weekdays, and weekends as needed. Crews will work at the access and staging areas, including delivery of sand, 6 a.m. through 11 p.m. Beach work will take place between 7 a.m. or sunrise, whichever is later, through 7 p.m. or sunset, whichever is earlier.
Trucks will enter and exit the staging areas during operating hours. During construction, the public should use caution along the truck route, in the access and staging areas, and on the beach. Flagmen will assist with traffic to ensure the safety of residents and beachgoers. For safety and protection, members of the public should follow the instructions of construction personnel, observe all posted signs regarding closed areas and stay away from areas fenced off with orange construction netting. Due to safety concerns, some beach access areas will be closed and certain public beach access points will be restricted during construction. Because of the extensive construction activities for the next several months, motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians are asked to use caution along these areas of Miami Beach.
“The renourished beach will help protect infrastructure from both seasonal storms and hurricanes,” said Reichold. “The Corps builds beaches to protect infrastructure, preserve wildlife, support the economy, and build coastal resiliency. Widening the beach to about 230 feet also improves habitat for sea turtle nesting.”
The project is cost-shared between the federal government (56.6%), Miami-Dade County (21.9%) and the state of Florida (21.5%).
Additional information on the Miami Beach Erosional Hotspots project is available at: http://www.saj.usace.army.mil/Missions/Civil-Works/Shore-Protection/Dade-County/Miami-Beach-Hotspots/
The Corps will post project updates on the web and social media, including the Jacksonville District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/JacksonvilleDistrict/ and on Twitter @JaxStrong @MiamiDadeRER @MiamiDadeCounty @MiamiBeachNews