After more than a year of work and months of delays, the beach renourishment project on Fort Myers Beach has been completed with approximately 1 million cubic acres of sand planted. Town officials announced this week that the sand dredging and pumping for the project is now over. The $23 million contract for the work with Ahtna Marine and Construction approved in May of last year, called for the work to be completed in six months. Due to equipment issues, water leaks in the dredging pipe and weather delays, the project ended up going about seven months past its expected completion date.
Town of Fort Myers Beach Environmental Projects Manager Chadd Chustz said the sand dredging portion of the project is now complete. “The booster pumps, equipment and sub-line from the dredge to shoreline will be removed via the Old Junkanoo lot. All equipment will be off the beach by September 3, per Ahtna,” Chustz said. “Equipment will be moved out of the Newton and Old Junkanoo properties via truck by September 10.”
The next step will be dune plantings to begin sometime in the next few weeks…