Broward County is building back the shoreline with a sand bypass project that has been years in the making.
The project has been established to address sand walls, also known as cliffing, along South Broward beaches.
“We have a need for sand for the south side of the inlet,” said Stephanie Roche, a Broward County beach program manager.
Decades of planning for solution
For more than three decades, Broward County has been working on a way to combat beach erosion south of Port Everglades, where jetties and the inlet disrupt the natural sand flow. After years of planning, officials say the sand bypass is the solution.
“The project is going to allow us to physically move that sand and capture it in an efficient way to move it south of the inlet and to restore the beaches,” Roche said.
Dredge creates underwater sand trap
A dredge is being used north of the Port Everglades jetties to dig a 20- to 50-foot bowl underwater, trapping sand that would typically be lost.
“In two to four years’ time, when that trap is full of beach-compatible sand, we will physically dig it up and then, likely, barge it through the inlet and then across the barrier island to the beaches,” Roche said.
Beaches set to benefit
John Lloyd State Park, Dania Beach, Hollywood Beach, and Hallandale Beach will all benefit from the project, which is funded by tourist development taxes.
Stage one expected by 2027
Roche said this is just stage one of the major project.
“The next component is going to be North jetty improvements. So we’ll have a contractor on board, hopefully by early next year to rehabilitate our north jetty. We will also be building an artificial mitigation reef as part of the project, and lastly will be clearing out some rubble before the project is deemed complete,” she said.
The first stage of the project is expected to be completed in 2027.
