Miami Beach Erosion Project to Get Underway

MIAMI BEACH — City officials outlined the second phase of an $11.9 million beach erosion project on Thursday at a public hearing that focused on upcoming work along 54 Street.

"We're going to be providing an update for the folks who are just coming into town," Erica A. Skolte of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers told Patch on Thursday prior to the meeting, which was held in the first floor conference room of Miami Beach City Hall at 1700 Convention Center Drive.

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Skolte said that officials wanted to prepare residents and visitors for the hundreds of dump trucks trips that will be taking place in the area on a daily basis.

The contractor is expected to begin transporting sand on Monday.

Skolte added that the work is being performed by Eastman Aggregates, the same contractor that recently completed similar work along the 46 Street beach under the first phase of the project.

"They did a great job the last time," she explained. But "Miami Beach is a pretty intense urban area, lots of folks, lots of traffic, lots of visitors."

Eastman Aggregates will place approximately 70,000 cubic yards of beach-quality sand from an upland sand mine on 1,200 feet of critically eroded shoreline in the vicinity of 54 Street. Eastman will haul the sand from the Vulcan Materials Witherspoon Sand Mine or the E.R. Jahna Ortona Sand Mine. Both mines are located in Moore Haven, which is southwest of Lake Okeechobee.

Here's what you need to know about the project:

• The area affected by construction includes the 5300-5500 blocks of Collins Avenue.
• There is an access and staging areas for trucks, equipment and sand at the 53 Street parking lot at Beach View Park. The contractor will work weekdays, and weekends as needed.
• Crews will be working at the access and staging areas from 6 a.m. through 11 p.m. Beach work will take place between 7 a.m. or sunrise, whichever is later and continue through 7 p.m. or sunset, whichever is earlier.
• Trucks will enter and exit the staging areas during operating hours.
• During construction, the public should use caution along the truck route, in the access and staging areas, and on the beach.
• Flagmen will assist with traffic. The public is asked to follow the instructions of construction personnel, observe all posted signs regarding closed areas and stay away from areas fenced off with orange construction netting.
• Due to safety concerns, some beach access areas will be closed and certain public beach access points will be restricted during construction.

The beach renourishment project is part of the Miami-Dade County Beach Erosion Control and Hurricane Protection Project. The total project involves 220,000 cubic yards of beach-quality sand to more than 3,000 feet of critically eroded shoreline in an attempt to widen the beach to approximately 230 feet at 46 Street and 54 Street.

Beach renourishment projects are intended to protect infrastructure, preserve wildlife, support the economy, and build coastal resiliency, according to Skolte.

While the project is necessary, officials want to let residents and visitors know to expect possible traffic delays and other disruptions.

"It does make for more traffic when you have that many trucks coming through per day," she said. "Certain parts of the beach won't be accessible for a little while."

For more information contact Erica Skolte at 561-472-8893 or by email at Erica.A.Skolte@usace.army.mil.

Photo courtesy city of Miami Beach.