FORT PIERCE — A long-awaited beach renourishment project is expected to begin this month along South Hutchinson Island after weeks of emergency work to stabilize severe erosion near Fort Pierce Inlet.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Jacksonville District has hired Manson Construction to place roughly 400,000 cubic yards of sand along about one mile of shoreline immediately south of the inlet as part of the Fort Pierce Shore Protection Project. The sand will come from authorized offshore borrow areas and will be offloaded from inside the inlet’s south jetty.
St. Lucie County officials say construction preparations will begin soon, with sand placement expected shortly afterward.
“The Contractor (Manson Construction) has indicated March 17 is the tentative start date for fill placement; project mobilization is scheduled to begin on March 12,” said Erick Gill, communications director for St. Lucie County.
Once work begins, the project will run continuously.
According to the county, crews will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including weekends and holidays, until the project is completed, which is expected by mid-May.
The project follows weeks of escalating erosion concerns along South Beach in Fort Pierce, where deteriorating dunes raised alarms about potential damage to nearby infrastructure and utilities. Officials previously warned that portions of the shoreline were dangerously close to breaching as waves eroded the remaining sand.
To help protect the area while awaiting the federal project, county crews placed a large amount of sand along the beach as a temporary safeguard.
“Since early February, approximately 11,000 cubic yards of sand have been placed at Fort Pierce Beach as a stop-gap measure until the federal project begins,” Gill said.
Officials say those efforts have helped improve conditions along the shoreline.
“The sand placed during the emergency effort has helped protect upland infrastructure while we wait for the larger federal beach project,” Gill said. “The sand has allowed the lower beach berm to rebuild itself and it is now in better shape to resist erosion. Staff continues to monitor the situation daily.”
County officials said the risk of seawater breaching the shoreline has diminished.
“Not at this time,” Gill said when asked whether a breach remains a concern.
As the renourishment project ramps up, several public access points will temporarily close to allow crews to stage equipment and begin construction.
Portions of Seaway Drive and some parking areas at Jetty Park will close beginning Wednesday, March 11. The South Jetty and nearby beaches are also scheduled to close from March 14 through March 23 to ensure safety during the early stages of construction.
The renourishment effort is the latest phase of a federal shoreline protection project first constructed in 1971 to address ongoing erosion along the Fort Pierce coastline, which has been partly attributed to the presence of the federal navigation inlet.
The current project is being carried out under a $15.1 million contract between the Army Corps of Engineers and Manson Construction. Federal funding accounts for about 77.76% of the cost, with the remaining 22.25% funded by the county’s Erosion District.
Environmental monitoring will also take place during construction. Independent contractors will check for sea turtle nesting activity and relocate nests if necessary while work is underway.
County officials said they will continue monitoring conditions along the shoreline in the meantime.