Dumptruck dumps sand on the beach during the Beach Sand Renourishment Project.

Update on Active Capital Projects

By Christopher J. Russo, Former City Manager

(Thursday, November 30, 2017) – If you have not seen any of the City’s media releases or status reports on the various projects currently in progress, here is a run through of the major ones for your convenience.

The beach sand renourishment project is underway with the placement of almost 2000,000 cubic yards of sand.  Trucks are currently hauling sand from Haulover Park at the South end of our City to the Newport Fishing Pier, Now through January, sand will be placed both on the north and south side of the Newport Fishing Pier. From January, and scheduled to be completed by spring, is the placement of sand from the north end of the City south to the Porsche condominium. (The last area to have sand placed will be from the Porsche building south, to meet the sand placed north of Newport Pier.) The entire project should be completed by end of summer 2018.

The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) rehabilitation of Collins Avenue is underway, although they will not begin milling and paving the roadway surface until the beginning of next year. The lane closures and increasing number of cuts in the road are due to the Florida Department of Transportation allowing telecommunications utilities and development projects to complete as much underground work as possible until they start the milling process. FDOT is also in the process of installing its own underground wiring for the upgraded new signal lights along Collins Avenue. This project will take most of the 2018 calendar year. The City undergrounding project will restart once FDOT is substantially completed with their work. At that point, we will commence the installation of the new decorative streetlights and the actual installation of the underground wires, and install the surface mounted transformers and other standard equipment used for underground utilities. Substantial completion will be in late 2019. Sidewalk rehabilitation along Collins Avenue will take place simultaneously with the wiring and energizing of the new system. Again, we thank all our residents and those who travel Collins for your understanding and continued patience, for the end result will be well worth the wait!

By the beginning of 2018, you will be able to walk, jog, or bike through 75 percent of our City without being on Collins Avenue! With the completion of the pedestrian bridge over the canal connecting 174th Street to the intersection of 172nd Street and North Bay Road, this will become a reality. Please see the off-Collins bike/walking routes on the City website or feel free to call me at 305.792.1701 for questions or concerns.