Jacksonville, Fla. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District announced today that construction operations will begin for the Pinellas County Beach Erosion Control Project in July. A portion of the work is in response to impacts from Tropical Storm Debby’s passage in 2012, and is 100 percent federally funded under the Flood Control and Coastal Emergency (FCCE) program.
The Corps awarded the Pinellas County construction contract to Weeks Marine, Inc., to include renourishment of Treasure Island and Long Key beach segments. The Corps anticipates the contractor will start mobilizing equipment over the next few weeks and complete construction in early September 2014.
Pinellas County and the Corps held a public meeting June 10 at the Treasure Island City Hall to provide schedule details and other important information regarding the beach renourishment project. That presentation will be made available on Pinellas County’s website along with weekly updates during construction. Please visit http://www.pinellascounty.org/environment/coastalMngmt/treasure_island.htm for more information.
The beach renourishment project includes placing approximately 550,000 cubic-yards of beach quality sand along 15,000 feet of beach at an estimated cost of $16.2 million. The contractor will work from north to south starting with beachfill on Sunshine Beach.
About 500 to 800 feet of beach will be blocked-off at any given time to allow for safety in an active construction area. This means some of Treasure Island and Long Key beach and access areas may be temporarily closed or restricted as construction progresses down the beach. Beach goers are asked to use caution due to the extensive construction activities as work progresses along the beaches over the next several months. Posted signs adjacent to work areas will provide safety messages to beach goers.
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Release no. 14-031