Sunny Isles Beach renourishment starts soon

Published Oct. 30, 2017
Beach renourishment on both sides of Sunny Isles Beach Pier

A critically eroded area on both sides of the pier will be renourished with 20,000 cubic yards of sand on each side. A total of 140,000 cubic yards of beach-quality sand will be trucked in from an upland sand mine and placed on the shoreline during the Sunny Isles Beach shoreline renourishment project.

Beach renourishment at north end of Sunny Isles Beach

A critically eroded area on the north end of Sunny Isles Beach will be renourished with 100,000 cubic yards of beach-quality sand, hauled by truck from an upland sand mine. The construction area extends along the shoreline from the city limits, just north of Terracina Avenue, south to near the south end of the Millennium Condo. A total of 140,000 cubic yards of sand will be placed along the shoreline during the federal project.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District announces that construction starts soon for the Sunny Isles Beach renourishment project. The $8.6 million project is part of the Miami-Dade County Beach Erosion Control and Hurricane Protection Project.

The Corps’ contractor, Eastman Aggregate Enterprises, LLC of Lake Worth, Florida, will place approximately 140,000 cubic yards of beach-quality sand from an upland sand mine on more than 4,400 feet of critically eroded shoreline in two locations, including both sides of the Newport Pier and at the north end of the city. Eastman Aggregates will truck-haul sand to Sunny Isles from the Vulcan Materials Witherspoon Sand Mine, located in Moore Haven, southwest of Lake Okeechobee.

The Newport Pier location is the first section of the project scheduled for construction, and Eastman Aggregates began mobilization at the south access area, as well as the truck staging area at the south end of Haulover Beach Park on October 26. Placement of sand on the beach is scheduled to start tomorrow, October 31, and trucking operations are expected to be in full swing by November 6. Both the area north of the pier (contract Option B) and the area to the south of the pier (contract Option C) are scheduled for completion in December 2017.

Work at the north end of the project is scheduled to begin before the end of the year, with completion in May 2018.

Eastman Aggregates is scheduled to mobilize equipment at the north access and begin work on the base contract at the northern end of the city before the end of the year.

The federal project, led by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, in partnership with Miami-Dade County, the City of Sunny Isles Beach and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, is cost-shared between the federal government (62.7%), Miami-Dade County (19.3%) and the state of Florida (18%).

“Eastman Aggregates has a proven track record working in busy urban areas in south Florida. In 2017, they successfully completed the Miami Beach Hotspots beach renourishment, a federal project in partnership with Miami-Dade County. The feedback we received was very positive, and we look forward to partnering with them again on the Sunny Isles Beach truck haul,” said Laurel Reichold, Corps project manager. “Beach renourishment protects infrastructure from seasonal storms and hurricanes, supports the economy, preserves wildlife habitat and promotes coastal resilience.”

The work in the original contract solicitation was divided into a base and four options, and the final award included the Base and Options B and C.

100,000 cubic yards of sand will be placed at the north end of Sunny Isles Beach in the Base contract area. 20,000 cubic yards of sand will be placed north of the pier for Option B, and 20,000 cubic yards of sand will be placed south of the pier for Option C.

By the numbers:


Base Contract

Where: the north end of the project; from just north of Terracina Avenue, at the northern city limit, south to near the south end of the Millennium Condominium

How much: 100,000 cubic yards of sand

Length along the shoreline: 3,050 feet

Width of the berm: 95 feet

Option B

Where: from the pier north, about 700 feet, to near the north end of the Sands Pointe Ocean Beach Condominium

How much: 20,000 cubic yards of sand

Length along the shoreline: 700 feet

Width of the berm: 90 feet

Option C

Where: from the pier south, about 700 feet, to near the north end of the Oceania I Condominium

How much: 20,000 cubic yards of sand

Length along the shoreline: 700 feet

Width of the berm: 90 feet

There are three construction access points for this project, and a staging area for trucks at the south end of Haulover Beach Park. All-terrain vehicles with spotters will escort off-road trucks from the loading work area to the fill template on the beach. Beachgoers should use caution near the access, staging, and construction areas, in addition to the off-road truck haul route along the beach. Members of the public should stay out of the areas marked by fencing, orange fencing, signs and barricades for their safety.

Eastman Aggregates will stage the dump trucks at the Haulover Marina parking lot on the west side of A1A, to reduce traffic congestion, control the trucks entering the access points and help ensure public safety.

The north access is located at Ellen Wynne Beach Access at 192nd Street, and includes a portion of the bus lane, due to limited area for maneuvering. It will service the base portion of the contract at the north end of the city.

The middle access is located at the former Travel Lodge/Monaco Motel site at 175th Terrace. Use of this area may be restricted at times due to the concurrent Florida Department of Transportation repaving project.

The south access is located at the north end of Haulover Beach Park, west of the dune line, and north of the main beach parking lots.

Approximately 2,800 tons of sand will be placed on the beach each day through each access point.

Work is generally scheduled from Monday through Friday, with work on Saturdays as needed to meet schedule requirements.

Regular work hours will meet the requirements of Sunny Isles Beach Code of Ordinances. Work is permitted 6 days per week:

  • Monday through Thursday from 7 a.m. until 6:30 p.m. (7 p.m. during daylight saving time, the second week of March through the first week of November)

  • Friday from 7 a.m. until 5 p.m.

  • Saturday from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.

  • No construction on Sundays

No work is permitted on the following holidays:

  • September 2-4, 2017 - Labor Day Weekend

  • September 30, 2017 - Yom Kippur (beginning at sundown on Sept. 29)

  • November 23, 2017 - Thanksgiving

  • December. 25, 2017 - Christmas (beginning at sundown on Dec 24)

  • January 1, 2018 - New Year’s (beginning at sundown on Dec. 31)

  • May 28, 2018 - Memorial Day

  • July 4, 2018 - Independence Day

  • During Chanukah, December 13-20, 2017, work is only permitted between 7 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.

Construction at the north end of the project (Base) and north of the pier (Option B) will progress from south to north, creating a berm to catch the sand flowing south along the shoreline with the current. Filling operations for the area south of the pier (Option C), will begin at the north end and proceed southward.

Once beach fill begins, the contractor will maintain a continuous filling operation without any intervening gaps. The contractor may choose to work at all three locations simultaneously.

Due to safety concerns, some beach access areas will be closed and public access to the beach will be restricted during construction. Public access will be completely closed in the northern access area while the contractor is working in this area. Because of the extensive construction activities for the next several months, motorists, cyclists, pedestrians and beachgoers are asked to use caution along these areas of Sunny Isles Beach.

The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is scheduled to conduct a roadway resurfacing project on Collins Avenue within the limits and construction period of this project. The Corps, its partners and the contractor are working closely with FDOT to coordinate operations.

"This contract was a 100 percent set-aside for small business concerns," said Beth Myers, deputy for the Office of Small Business Programs. "Our commitment to build and preserve the small industrial base contributes to diversity, competition and economic growth. Small businesses are a valued source for innovative, cost effective, customer- focused solutions."

Miami-Dade County will conduct sea turtle monitoring daily during turtle season, to help ensure these species are protected during construction.

The goal of federal shore protection projects is to reduce risk and promote coastal resilience. Engineered beaches are designed to erode from natural storm and wave action over time to help protect land-side infrastructure such as roads, utilities, businesses and homes.

The Corps and our partners will post project updates on the web and social media.

Project updates and progress maps will be available on the web:

For additional updates, follow us on social media:

Photos available for download on Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/jaxstrong/sets/72157682478182893

Follow-up information from the August 31, 2017 public meeting is available:

 

Previous News Releases:

 


Contact
Erica Skolte
561-340-1527
561-801-5734 (cell)
Erica.A.Skolte@usace.army.mil

Release no. 17-063