COLLIER COUNTy -- Last week crews began the process of hauling sand from Stewart Mining in Immokalee and then spreading that sand across a two-mile section of Naples Beach from Lowdermilk Park to near Naples Pier. The truck haul route within the City of Naples has changed slightly on the outbound leg starting this week at the request of the City of Naples. The updated outbound route now has the empty trucks using 4th Avenue North instead of the previously designated Mooring Line Drive. The current routes map is shown at the end of this news release.

The approximately $5 million 2021 Beach Renourishment Project includes spreading 268,500 tons of sand across City of Naples and Collier County beaches to revitalize our sandy shores for residents and visitors alike. The first section being renourished is within the City of Naples and is expected to be completed by the end of this month. In early December the crews plan to move their operation to the north to handle a 1.3-mile section of Vanderbilt Beach from just south of Delnor Wiggins State Park to approximately one-half mile south of Vanderbilt Beach Road. That section is expected to be completed by the end of this year. Then in January 2022 the crews plan to renourish a near half-mile stretch of Pelican Bay Beach from Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) Reference monument R-34 to R-36. The later section of beach will be paid for by the Pelican Bay Services Division since it is not a public beach.

Cost of the sand from Stewart Mining was approved by the BCC this past May. That cost is just over $2.6 million for Naples and Vanderbilt beaches and $330,000 for the Pelican Bay beach segment which will be paid for by Pelican Bay. Tourist Development Tax funds (most coming from taxes paid by visitors utilizing hotels and motels commonly referred to as “bed tax”) are the funding source.

The Collier County Sheriff’s Office, Lee County Sheriff’s Office, and the City of Naples Police Department are assisting with the coordination of maintenance of traffic support.

Completion of the entire project is expected in mid-January 2022. Crews will cease project operations for short breaks over Thanksgiving) and the Christmas/New Year’s holidays. Hours of operations will be six days a week, Mondays through Saturdays, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.