PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. – The initial phase of the project to nourish Pass-a-Grille beach is scheduled to begin June 3 following the Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners allocating an additional $4.4 million Tuesday to fund the full nourishment.
The two-phase project will include placing about 10,000 cubic yards of sand from the current Grand Canal Dredging project and about 140,000 cubic yards of sand from Pass-a-Grille inlet. The latter still awaits permitting from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Pass-a-Grille businesses will remain open and accessible throughout the project area. However, access to sections of beach and parking areas will be impacted.
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It is important that beachgoers stay clear of active construction zones. Up-to-date closures and additional project information can be found at https://pinellas.gov/projects/pass-a-grille-beach-nourishment/.
As a reminder, sea turtle nesting season is ongoing through October. Pinellas County and our contractor will work closely with our partners to minimize disruptions to nests within the project area. More information on sea turtle nesting season can be found at https://pinellas.gov/sea-turtle-protection/.
Boaters are advised to use caution around the dredging area and follow all local notices to mariners.
Dr. John Bishop, Pinellas County Coastal Management Coordinator, described the benefits of the project: “Once it’s done, the beach is going to have a total width of about 165 feet. We need to replace the sand every 10 years or so or it’ll continue to erode back, which will impact infrastructure in the community.”
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“Last year, we received over $98 million in bed tax collections from visitors coming down here, and our visitors had a total economic impact of almost $11 billion.” said Brian Lowack, President and CEO of Visit St. Pete Clearwater, “So this money is truly well spent when we reinvest it into these beaches, not only for our visitors, but also for our residents.”
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