CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Part of a big project to expand beaches that have gotten smaller because of erosion and hurricanes is a few weeks away from being done.
Brevard County is very familiar with putting more sand on the beach, but there’s something with this one that has a lot of visitors wondering what’s going on.
A pipeline on the beach is helping to pump sand from Port Canaveral all the way south to Patrick Space Force Base.
It’s the sixth sand bypass project under a partnership between the port, Brevard County, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Senior project manager Chris Ren said work should be finished before May.
“We’re expected to finish up end of April,” Ren said. “So those beaches will be in good shape, I think, for this coming hurricane season.”
The sand being placed on popular beaches comes from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station side of the beach just north of the port’s channel.
The channel and the jetty disrupt the natural flow of sand so renourishment projects become necessary every few years Cape Canaveral’s 5-month beach restoration project begins.
Hurricanes don’t help, either.
“This is a project that preserves our way of life on the Space Coast, and really promotes not only tourism but just the everyday enjoyment that is being a member of Florida,” Rep. Mike Haridoplos (R-Brevard County) said.
Visitors during spring break are not only being advised to keep a safe distance from workers and the pipeline but from danger in the water, as well.
Thursday, Brevard County Ocean Rescue said beaches were under red flag conditions.
Lifeguard Steve Fender told News 6 reporter James Sparvero how to escape a rip current.
“So if you’re stuck in a rip current, you’re trying to go one direction, you find it way too difficult, don’t fight it.,” Fender said. “Whichever direction it’s pulling you, go with it. Continue in that direction. Follow the shoreline to get out of it.”