Posted on April 14, 2025
Beachside Ponce Inlet residents and visitors should expect changes for a while as crews use the area to stockpile sand for a beach strengthening project.
A U.S. Army Corps of Engineers contractor, Gator Dredging, has begun placing pipeline north of the Ponce de Leon Inlet to Oceanview Avenue, said Niles Cyzycki, construction activity project manager for Volusia County. The Army Corps is dredging the Ponce de Leon Inlet and the Intercoastal Waterway, and dredging could begin in a couple of weeks.
Crews will pump about 900,000 cubic yards of sand onto the beach, he said. County contractors will truck it and place it at public and private properties from around the north side of the Ponce de Leon Inlet north to about the Sunglow Pier in Daytona Beach Shores, but the placement could extend farther north if crews can collect more sand than expected.
A large portion of the dredged materials, perhaps even half, could be lost from the stockpile before it can be trucked to nearby properties. The beach is flat and susceptible to tidal events.
“It’s a bit of a wild card how much sand we’ll be able to collect from these stockpiles,” Cyzycki said.
As sand is placed on the coast, county contractor Halifax Paving will handle trucking the sand to properties.
Another key piece of this project is easements. Property owners who want to get sand must sign an easement allowing the county access. Otherwise, they won’t get sand, Cyzycki said.
The county lost over 6 million cubic yards of sand from Hurricanes Ian and Nicole and nor’easters. Florida Department of Environmental Protection grant funds are paying for this and other beach projects to help strengthen the coast.
Other key players in the efforts include the Army Corps and the Florida Inland Navigation District.
Avoid the pipeline on Ponce Inlet and have patience, Volusia County official asks
During the project, the beach will stay open to the public. But some areas might have limited access while equipment is moving.
“Temporary restrictions will be in place around the work zones to ensure public safety. Beachgoers should stay clear of the pipeline and adhere to posted signage,” according to the county.
Crews plan to move parts of the pipe south of Beach Street along the dune line down to the jetty when beach driving ends in the evenings.
“We encourage people to avoid the pipeline,” Cyzycki said.
Sand will be stockpiled on Ponce Inlet before it’s trucked. There will be gaps in the sand so people can get to the beach.
“There’s going to be large stockpiles of sand created from the dredging,” Cyzycki said.
Trucks could start moving sand north in mid-to-late May. Trucking will only take place in daylight hours.
Cyzycki said that the Army Corps is permitted to work 24/7, but the noise from dredging is minimal.
Dreding is expected to be finished in October or November, and trucking is expected to continue as long as dredging continues, he said.
Cyzycki asked for the community’s patience and said the inconveniences are for the greater good of coastal resilience.
“Even though it’s a couple years since the storms, this all takes time, a lot of planning, permitting design, etc.,” he said.
Other Volusia County beach projects ahead
The county has other beach projects underway.
The dredging project happening now is referred to as the North Project. The South Project is expected to place about 500,000 cubic yards of sand along the coast in New Smyrna Beach, Cyzycki said. The South Project could start in the summer and take two to three months to complete.
A third sand project is in the works, too.
“We identified a couple of million cubic yards of sand inside the inlet, the flood shoals, all those sandbars inside the inlet, so we’re working on ways to get that sand on the beach,” he said.
Also, a feasibility study is underway to look at long-term strategies for enhancing Volusia County beaches.
