St. Pete-Clearwater Sun

A federally funded dredging project is weeks away from restoring more than a mile of Lido Beach while also improving navigation safety through the New Pass Channel, city officials said.

Workers are dredging sand from sandbars in the New Pass Channel and pumping it onto Lido Beach, with the goal of returning more than 300,000 cubic yards of sand to the shoreline — a stretch that eroded significantly during the 2024 hurricane season.

The project serves a dual purpose. In addition to rebuilding the beach, deepening and widening the channel is expected to make it safer for boaters navigating what local sailing instructors describe as one of the most hazardous passages near Longboat Key.

Captain Bill Brooker, who has worked on the water for more than four decades, said the channel’s shifting sandbars and unpredictable depths have caused serious accidents over the years. “There have been several boats that have sunk there because they ran aground in the following sea and beat themselves apart trying to get out,” he said.

Sage Kamiya, the city of Sarasota’s engineer overseeing the project, described the beach restoration as a critical protective barrier. “It will be the first line of defense for the city, residents, and infrastructure on the other side of the beach,” Kamiya said.

Kamiya said the project is expected to be complete within two to three weeks, barring weather or equipment delays. The city’s goal is to finish before the start of shorebird and sea turtle nesting season.

Officials acknowledge the improvements to the channel may not be permanent. A single storm could push sand back into the waterway, but the city has an agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to continue maintaining both the channel and the beach, with a similar project anticipated in roughly five years.

The total cost of the project is $12 million, covered by federal funds. While work continues, the city is advising beachgoers to avoid the large black pipe running across the sand and to use designated pedestrian crossing areas to reach the water.

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