08 Nov Lido Beach emergency renourishment to begin this week
Wednesday, November 7, 2018, Sarasota, FL: Crews have begun staging equipment at Lido Beach in preparation for an emergency renourishment project that is scheduled to begin as early as this weekend.
The contractor for the City of Sarasota’s short-term project, Coastal Dredging Corp., will spend the next few days laying pipe and bringing in equipment, with the renourishment work to follow. The project will take approximately 90 days to complete, with the schedule depending on weather and other variables.
The emergency renourishment is intended to address the critical erosion of Lido Beach by replacing sand that was lost during Tropical Storm Hermine (2016), Hurricane Irma (2017) and subsequent storms and tidal action. As part of the short-term project, approximately 185,000 cubic yards of sand from New Pass will be utilized to renourish Lido, restoring the shoreline and dunes and protecting public property and infrastructure, including the Lido concession, pavilion, public restrooms and swimming pool.
The beach will remain open through the duration of the project. Beachgoers are advised to use caution and stay aware of active work zones and any equipment operating in the area.
The project cost of $3.9 million is being shared by the City of Sarasota, Sarasota County, the state and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA); the City’s funding portion is approximately $600,000.
The City and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are also proceeding with a larger, long-term renourishment of Lido Beach that would regularly recycle additional sand from Big Pass over a 50-year period as needed. That project is expected to begin in the fall of 2019, pending ongoing legal challenges.
In May, the City declared a Local State of Emergency for Lido Beach due to the conditions caused by ongoing erosion.
“Lido Beach has long been at a critical point of erosion and significant danger,” said City Manager Tom Barwin. “We issued the State of Emergency in recognition of the serious threats that just one more storm could pose for our environment, our local economy, properties and infrastructure on Lido Key and the quality of life that we all enjoy. We eagerly await both this short-term renourishment and our long-term plan to protect our shoreline and restore Lido Beach to its natural beauty.”
For more information, contact City Engineer Alex Davis-Shaw at 941-954-4180, ext. 4181.
About the City of Sarasota: Distinguished by Google as a Digital Capital in the U.S., the City of Sarasota is a diverse community located on Florida’s Suncoast with 55,000 year-round residents, several internationally recognized cultural arts venues, stunning sunsets along Lido Beach, a 45-hole municipal golf course at the historic Bobby Jones Golf Club, and Major League spring training baseball with the Baltimore Orioles. Learn more about us at SarasotaFL.Gov