Naples advances plans to restore beach access points.

The City of Naples is moving forward with its beach restoration project, starting with the bidding process this month to hire a contractor for repairs and upgrades. The initiative focuses on fixing the city’s 35 public beach access points, many of which are still damaged from recent hurricanes, according to a recent article by Alexa Velez of Gulf Coast ABC.

At 10th Avenue South, cracked concrete and missing tiles remain scattered, but city officials plan to revamp the area with new features such as bike racks, trash cans, benches, landscaping, and a staircase leading to the beach. Some access points, like 16th Avenue South, remain unsafe due to a damaged seawall and exposed debris.

Originally launched after Hurricane Ian, the beach restoration project had to be reassessed following additional damage from Hurricanes Helene and Milton. The initial phase involved clearing all access points, replacing eroded sand, and removing debris.

“We’ve finalized the design, reviewed permit requirements, and accounted for FEMA considerations,” said Chad Merritt, Director of Parks, Recreation & Facilities. “Now, we’re ready to open the bidding process, which should begin this month.”

Once a contractor is chosen, construction is expected to take about 10 months.

“There’s some uncertainty around the arrival of materials like benches, trash cans, and bike racks,” Merritt noted. “But the goal is to finish within ten months. With 32 beach access points to address, it’s a big job.”

To ensure steady progress while keeping the beaches accessible, the contractor will work on two to four access points at a time.

This article originally appeared on ABC

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