St. Johns County updates community on beach access for vehicles

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla — As part of the ongoing Butler Beach Reach portion of the FEMA Dune Enhancement Project, St. Johns County will close one vehicle beach access ramp and reopen another ramp in the area on Mon., Aug. 7.

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In a news release, St. Johns County also said that a separate project, as part of the South Ponte Vedra and Vilano Beach Coastal Storm Risk Management (CSRM) will temporarily close public parking at Surfside Park from Tue., Aug. 8, 2023, to Mar. 2024.

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The Surfside Park parking lot will be used to store heavy equipment and materials during the beach renourishment project.

Pedestrian access to the beach and the bathrooms at Surfside Park will still be open to the public.

The Butler Beach Reach includes the shoreline from Ocean Hammock Park through Bryn Mawr Ocean Resort, in addition to a 1,500-foot section from Mary Street in the southbound direction.

Related Story: St. Johns beach renourishment projects to begin June

To ensure public safety, The county is closing vehicle beach access ramps where there is a presence of heavy equipment on the beach.

Updates to Butler Beach Reach Vehicle Beach Access Ramps for Monday, Aug. 7:

• The Dondanville Road (enter and exit) vehicle beach access ramp will reopen.
• The Matanzas Avenue vehicle beach access ramp will remain open, but switch from enter-only to exit-only due to the Dondanville Road ramp reopening.
• The Mary Street vehicle beach access ramp will close.
• The Cubbedge Road (enter-only) vehicle beach access ramp will remain open.

“The Butler Beach Reach portion of the FEMA Dune Enhancement Project continues to progress at an impressive pace,” St. Johns County Emergency Management Director Joseph Giammanco said. “I am pleased with the quality and consistency of the beach renourishment as we advance through the first phase.”

Updates to Surfside Park for Tuesday, Aug. 8:

St. Johns County urges the public to use caution while accessing the beach in this area as heavy equipment may be present for the duration of the project.

As part of dredge beach fill operations, the USACE contractor, Weeks Marine, will close off approximately 1,500-foot sections of the beach at a time with orange safety fencing until beach fill operations are complete.

Related Story: Vilano Beach coastline residents stall St. Johns County Emergency Beach Dune Project

Weeks Marine will reopen these small portions for the public as work is completed. Weeks Marine plans on working at the beach 24/7 to expedite sand placement during prime hurricane season.

The USACE will have a website with the mapping available to show the progress and projection of the project. Visit www.saj.usace.army.mil for more.

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