Central Florida - Monday October 16, 2023: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Jacksonville District, has awarded a contract for the construction and installation of navigational signage on the Kissimmee River.
The $2.6M contract was awarded on September 28 to the Eagle Engineering & Land Development company of Naples.
The signage will be installed along the river in Okeechobee and Highlands Counties. The restoration project sponsor is the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD).
It is one of the final projects of the Kissimmee River Restoration (KRR) Project.
The navigational warning signage and warning safety features will be installed along the restored sections of the Kissimmee River. The signage will reintroduce boaters to the Kissimmee River channel flow.
The warning safety features include navigational warning signs for areas of the river channel with no entry, shallow drafts, or riprap obstructions. These navigational warning signs will be mounted on 12-inch diameter piles driven 10 to 20 feet below ground surface depending on the ground resistance during pile driving.
Riprap is a layer of large stones that protects soil from erosion. It was used to stabilize the slopes of the backfilled areas during the Kissimmee River Restoration construction. The riprap may become fully submerged during the rainy season when the floodplain fills and becomes a hazard to boaters.
Navigational Warning Signage will be located in those areas. The signage will read - “Keep Off Structure” and “No Boating Beyond This Point”. The signs will be placed adjacent to the S-69 weir area.
Currently, there are temporary warning signs at the boat ramps depicting submerged rocks in the Kissimmee River, which were part of the restoration effort in Phases I and III of the lower Kissimmee River Basin.
Construction is anticipated to begin in early 2024, with construction scheduled for completion in fall 2024.
Read the USACE news release at: https://www.saj.usace.army.mil/Media/News-Releases/Article/3550095/usace-awards-construction-contract-for-kissimmee-river-restoration-navigational/ .