ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – Two beach ramps in St. Johns County will be closed as the FEMA dune enhancement project is set to begin Monday at Butler Beach.
The A street vehicle access ramp will close on Monday, and the Ocean Trace Road ramp will shut down on Thursday during construction.
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The $62 million dollar dune project is part of a larger beach restoration project following the aftermath of hurricanes Ian and Nicole.
FEMA grants will cover the majority of the costs while the rest will be covered through county funds.
The project includes restoring sand dunes across four beaches: Butler Beach, Crescent Beach, South Ponte Vedra Beach and Ponte Vedra Beach.
Mary Stanny isn’t too thrilled about the renovation project because she worries that the temporary closure on A Street will cause extra congestion in the area.
“The innards of the town may get a little stopped up. A lot of people are going to be displaced during the day,” Stanny said.
Once construction begins, crews will enhance the dune system by adding sand at the seaward edge to the current dune. They’ll also plant sea oats and supporting vegetation and create a more uniform front to the dune system.
Elena Smith and Ellie Wilson, who’ve lived in the area for the past six years, said the project is well-overdue.
“I think after the hurricane, they just need to get it back to where it usually was. The protection of the wildlife as well as the beach,” she said. “All the different turtles, snakes, and lizards and everything they have to build that backup and people always walk through it now.”
Construction is expected to last about a month. Beachgoers are advised to seek alternative routes.