Weather delays Lido Key's beach renourishment for fifth time

Another cold front moved in this month and stopped the emergency beach renourishment project on Lido beach for the fifth time since the dredging project started last month.

LIDO KEY – Frequent cold fronts are pushing back a badly needed beach re-nourishment project on Lido Key. The beach is critically eroded, and in some areas, buildings are in the water.

“We’re not pumping today. The pipe on the beach is secured from the weather,” says Curtis Huggins, Coastal Dredging Company, Inc.

Another cold front moved in this month and stopped the emergency beach renourishment project on Lido beach for the fifth time since the dredging project started last month.

“The rain does not stop us it’s the wave action,” says Huggins. “The front is very frustrating.”

Huggins says the effects of the front takes a couple of days for waves to settle before he can start pumping sand again out of New Pass. Meanwhile, his costs for equipment and payroll continue.

Since the 3.9 million dollar project started a month ago Huggins say they’ve lost 14 days of work that’s the amount of weather days calculated for the entire 90 day project to be finished by February 12.

It’s not just the number of days lost. Huggins says with each cold front, part of their work washes out with the crashing waves.