The Duval County Shore Protection Project – aimed to restore critically eroded beaches and dunes – is now underway, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Jacksonville District informs.
Approximately 850,000 cubic yards of sand will be placed on about 8 miles of eroded beaches, including Jacksonville, Neptune and Atlantic beaches and the southern mile of Hanna Park.
The beach placement area starts at the southern end of the county (Mills Lane) and will end at 35th Street to Seminole Road.
The project’s completion is set for January 2019 – weather dependent.
According to USACE’s release, construction operations will run 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Flood Control and Coastal Emergency Act
The renourishment project includes a complete federal restoration of the beach and is 100 percent federally funded via the Flood Control and Coastal Emergency Act (Public Law 84-99) and the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (Public Law 115-123).
Between these two authorities, the total Federal funding allocation for the Corps’ Jacksonville District for hurricane recovery efforts so far exceeds $4 billion.
Jacksonville District received a $3.348 billion allocation July 5 for long-term recovery investments in its area of responsibility, which includes Florida, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. This funding will go towards 14 studies and 19 projects that will help reduce flood risk to communities damaged by storm events.
Also, the City of Jacksonville fully funded an additional $1.7 million to renourish portions of eroded dunes from St. Johns County to Atlantic Beach and up to Hanna Park as part of the restoration project.
Dune work will include repairs to existing dunes, new construction of dunes, followed by vegetation repairs and planting by the City of Jacksonville.