SARASOTA, Fla – Heavy machinery is in place at Lido Beach to build 1.2 miles of protective sand dunes to shield coastal roads and property from severe storm surge.
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Lido Beach dune project
The backstory:
Crews are preparing to place roughly 3,000 cubic yards of sand along Lido Beach to create a 1.2-mile stretch of dunes standing about 2 feet high. The sand was sourced locally from a recent New Pass maintenance dredge, which also provided material for the Lido Beach Renourishment Project.
Equipment mobilization has already started, with dune construction slated to start on or shortly after Monday, Sept. 21. Once built, workers will plant Florida-friendly vegetation to anchor the sand in place and slow down coastal erosion.
Lido Beach safety steps
Why you should care:
The dunes act as natural flood barriers to protect coastal infrastructure, including Benjamin Franklin Drive, by absorbing wave energy and containing windblown sand during severe weather. They also provide vital nesting areas and shelter for local coastal wildlife.
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“It’s not only good for tourism and people coming to the beach, but it’s also good for protecting the upland infrastructure and properties up here and also provides resilience for the future,” said Public Works Director Nikesh Patel.
Public access to Lido Beach will stay open during the entire 60-day project. Once construction finishes, workers will install new post and rope barriers alongside warning signs to protect the newly formed dunes.
“We are essentially trying to protect the upland property, the road Ben Franklin up here, as well as the slow down the erosion of sand based on future storms,” Patel said. “Because of the native plants being planted on the dunes, it actually holds the sand in place and helps with the erosion that it minimizes the erosion of the sand out there.”
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Lido Beach restoration metrics
By the numbers:
1.2: Miles of vegetated dunes being added to the shoreline.
3,000: Cubic yards of sand repurposed from New Pass dredging.
2: Height in feet of the completed sand dunes.
60: Estimated days expected for full project completion.
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