A long-awaited beach renourishment project on Hutchinson Island is set to begin as crews start staging equipment this week, bringing temporary closures and disruptions for beachgoers in the area.Local officials said the project is intended to address ongoing erosion issues along the Fort Pierce shoreline. In recent months, city and county leaders approved an emergency measure to place more than 10,000 cubic yards of sand on Hutchinson Island, but officials emphasized that the effort was only a short-term solution.Erick Gill, communications director for St. Lucie County, said renourishing the beach is part of the ongoing care required for maintaining coastal infrastructure. Since the 1970s, the county has had an agreement with the Army Corps of Engineers to do these renourishment projects every so often. “It’s almost like routine maintenance that you do to repave roads or mow parks and right ways. It’s something we know, the cost of doing business, of having a federally maintained inlet,” Gill said.Your neighborhood: Local coverage from WPBF 25 NewsAs preparations begin, residents and tourists should expect impacts around Jetty Park, including reduced parking and limited access to the jetty.”Crews are going to build a temporary boardwalk, pipes will be put down, there will be a barge stationed here at the Jetty,” Gill said. “So, sections of it will be closed as the sand is being pumped and heavy equipment used to spread it around. The beaches immediately south of the Jetty will be closed. It’ll be the road in front of the restaurants here that will be closed. The residents will still be able to access the parking lot through the roundabout on the west side of the property and closer to square grouper.” According to Gill, the total cost of the beach renourishment project is $15.1 million. About 77% of the funding will come from the federal government, while the remainder will be paid through the county’s erosion district. Local businesses along the shoreline say erosion has already affected their operations. But it’s not stopping patrons from coming to restaurants. Island Beach Bar and Restaurant, located directly along the beach, had to stop its beachside service because the shoreline disappeared.”We used to rent out beach chairs and some umbrellas so you could have some fun in the sun … right now we don’t have a beach, so we’re not able to offer that, but we will be offering it when we have our beach back,” said Sarena Fondacaro, assistant general manager of the restaurant. “We have the dune bar up and fully operating. It’s as closest to the beach you can get right now.”Get the latest news updates with the WPBF 25 News app. You can download it here.The renourishment project is also taking place during sea turtle nesting season, prompting additional precautions. Gill said trained biologists will monitor the beach during construction.”We will have biologists out there helping monitor for sea turtles in case they do come up and nest, they’ll be relocated. And they’re permitted through FWC, those biologists, to do that work,” Gill said.Crews are expected to continue staging equipment over the next five to six days. Sand placement could begin as early as Monday, with officials hoping to complete the project by the end of May.

HUTCHINSON ISLAND, Fla. —

A long-awaited beach renourishment project on Hutchinson Island is set to begin as crews start staging equipment this week, bringing temporary closures and disruptions for beachgoers in the area.

Local officials said the project is intended to address ongoing erosion issues along the Fort Pierce shoreline. In recent months, city and county leaders approved an emergency measure to place more than 10,000 cubic yards of sand on Hutchinson Island, but officials emphasized that the effort was only a short-term solution.

Erick Gill, communications director for St. Lucie County, said renourishing the beach is part of the ongoing care required for maintaining coastal infrastructure. Since the 1970s, the county has had an agreement with the Army Corps of Engineers to do these renourishment projects every so often.

“It’s almost like routine maintenance that you do to repave roads or mow parks and right ways. It’s something we know, the cost of doing business, of having a federally maintained inlet,” Gill said.

Your neighborhood: Local coverage from WPBF 25 News

As preparations begin, residents and tourists should expect impacts around Jetty Park, including reduced parking and limited access to the jetty.

“Crews are going to build a temporary boardwalk, pipes will be put down, there will be a barge stationed here at the Jetty,” Gill said. “So, sections of it will be closed as the sand is being pumped and heavy equipment used to spread it around. The beaches immediately south of the Jetty will be closed. It’ll be the road in front of the restaurants here that will be closed. The residents will still be able to access the parking lot through the roundabout on the west side of the property and closer to square grouper.”

According to Gill, the total cost of the beach renourishment project is $15.1 million. About 77% of the funding will come from the federal government, while the remainder will be paid through the county’s erosion district.

Local businesses along the shoreline say erosion has already affected their operations. But it’s not stopping patrons from coming to restaurants.

Island Beach Bar and Restaurant, located directly along the beach, had to stop its beachside service because the shoreline disappeared.

“We used to rent out beach chairs and some umbrellas so you could have some fun in the sun … right now we don’t have a beach, so we’re not able to offer that, but we will be offering it when we have our beach back,” said Sarena Fondacaro, assistant general manager of the restaurant. “We have the dune bar up and fully operating. It’s as closest to the beach you can get right now.”

Get the latest news updates with the WPBF 25 News app. You can download it here.

The renourishment project is also taking place during sea turtle nesting season, prompting additional precautions. Gill said trained biologists will monitor the beach during construction.

“We will have biologists out there helping monitor for sea turtles in case they do come up and nest, they’ll be relocated. And they’re permitted through FWC, those biologists, to do that work,” Gill said.

Crews are expected to continue staging equipment over the next five to six days. Sand placement could begin as early as Monday, with officials hoping to complete the project by the end of May.