$32 million beach renourishment project is underway in Duval County

DUVAL COUNTY, Fla. — If you are a beachgoer in Duval, you may hear sounds of heavy equipment instead of the ocean waves.

That’s because work is now underway to renourish our beaches communities.

It’s called the Duval County Shore Protection Project.

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In an effort to help restore our beaches, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers awarded a $32.4 million contract to a Houston company for a renourishment project.

On Monday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, along with local and federal partners, marked the start of the project.

“We need to always make sure we are preserving our beaches,” Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan said at a press conference Monday.

This project, which is funded through federal dollars, will cover about 10 miles of Duval County shoreline, including Jacksonville, Neptune, and Atlantic beaches.

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Col. James Booth with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said it’s going to help reduce the risk of future damage from tropical storms and hurricanes.

“When you’ve got a hurricane coming through the storm surge, the wave surge, the wave attack that comes in from those type of storms and a well-nourished beach, that’s at what we call its project template, is going to be able to handle that type of energy,” Col. Booth said.

Col. Booth also acknowledged frustration about construction noise.

“I know that’s tough and frustrating for folks, but I ask for folks to recognize you are looking at a few months of frustration so we can have years of protection,” Col. Booth said.

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Action News Jax spoke with Daniel Rourke, a beach resident who’s lived in the area for more than 50 years.

He said he’s seen the community change, especially after the coastline has taken a beating during hurricanes and tropical storms.

“It’s taken quite a while to build up the dunes and now that we have them, protecting them and protecting our first line of defense against the surge and erosion is key,” Rourke said.

Rourke said he’s grateful a project like this is happening.

“We need to protect our beaches,” Rourke said.

The beach will remain open to residents and visitors outside of the work areas.

The project is expected to be completed in about six months.

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