PORT CANAVERAL, Fla. – More than 1.3 million cubic yards of sand will be moved onto beaches in Cape Canaveral from Jetty Park to the Cocoa Beach Pier over the next five months.
The work pumping sand from the shoreline began this week, kicking off the 3.5-mile sand bypass project-- the largest in the Port Canaveral area history. The $18 million federally-authorized project is expected to be complete in late April.
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The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will oversee the beach restoration with some funding provided by the Canaveral Port Authority and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Brevard County government officials and the U.S. Air Force 45th Space Wing will also be involved providing logistical support.
"We build these beaches to protect homes, public infrastructure and critical habitat wildlife like sea turtle nesting," U.S. Army Corps of Engineers project manager Liz Fiocchi said.
Last week, construction contractor Norfolk Dredging Company placed a temporary pipeline in a trench along the shoreline across the Port Canaveral entrance channel. The pipeline will enable dredged sand to move from near the Cape Canaveral Air Station to Jetty Park and further south.
The replenishment project is expected to widen most of the shoreline by about 150 feet, according to the Canaveral Port Authority.
During the course of the project, public access to sections of beaches, about 1,000 feet long, will be restricted for about three to four days.