Ponte Vedra Beach Restoration Project competed 2 months early

A massive $36 million restoration project was completed in Ponte Vedra Beach 2 months ahead of schedule.

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The purpose of the project was to help rebuild the dunes and coastlines before the bulk of hurricane season.

Beach erosion has been a huge issue in that area, and it’s something Action News Jax has covered extensively. St. Johns County Commissioner Henry Dean previously called Ponte Vedra Beach the most critically eroded beach in the entire state.

Read: Ponte Vedra Beach deemed critically eroded, County officials create $83 million project to help

The project was made possible in part by around $30 million in state funding and included dune reconstruction between 13 and 18 feet and a raising of the shoreline by about 8 feet.

Several officials, like State Representative Cindi Stevenson, have voiced their support for the multi-million dollar project, and while the project addresses the critical beach erosion in Ponte Vedra Beach, it also aims to create more environmental habitat for the coastline’s critical wildlife.

“This year, we had almost 80,000 hatchlings make it to the Atlantic. Think about with a wider beach how much more that’s going to be in the future,” Rep. Stevenson said.

In 2023, St. Johns County saw a record 133 Green Sea Turtle nests. Now, there is more space for them to call our coastline home.

Read: SJC June nesting update: Record-breaking Kemp’s ridley nests during quiet green sea turtle season

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