Posted on March 17, 2025
PALM BEACH, Fla. — Boaters faced delays Thursday morning as the channel between Singer Island and the town of Palm Beach was temporarily closed for a dredging project aimed at clearing sand buildup.
The waterway was shut down from about 7:45 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. while crews worked to remove sand and install a pipe at the mouth of the inlet, according to officials. The project is expected to clear roughly 200,000 cubic yards of sand—equivalent to more than 1,100 tractor-trailer loads.
The dredged material will be deposited along Palm Beach’s shoreline, stretching from the Lake Worth Inlet to Kenlyn Road.
Longtime residents say dredging projects like this are necessary to prevent the channel from becoming too shallow for boats.
“The sand from the waves and the weather and the large swells that come from time to time push the sand in the channel, the inlet. And at some point, it gets too shallow,” said Scott McCranels, a Singer Island resident. “The drafts of the boats, you know, the cruise ship or the shipping boats just can’t get in.”
Another concern for the project is its impact on marine life, particularly sea turtles.
So far, no turtles have been spotted in the work area said the Town of Palm Beach.
