Florida Construction News staff writer

Ft. Lauderdale officials marked the start of a seawall replacement project along Hendricks Isle during a ground-breaking ceremony on Aug. 31.

The project will enhance the city’s stormwater system to reduce flooding and protect property and infrastructure from storm surges and rising sea level.

Over the next few months, crews from Ebsary Foundation Company will replace approximately 320 linear feet of seawalls that are over 50 years old and in poor structural condition with new marine-grade steel sheet-piles with a new concrete cap.

Additional improvements include minor stormwater work, including new tidal valves and new outfall penetrations to make sure the roadway drains properly through the new seawall. This project is partially grant funded by the Florida Resilient Coastline Program (FRCP) grant through the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP).

Construction crews are mobilizing equipment and materials and removing the trees along the westernmost seawall. Work on this seawall is expected to be completed by the end of October 2022.

During the seawall construction process, vibration monitoring will be provided by the contractor and the city’s inspector to prevent damage to adjacent properties. Monitoring equipment may need to be installed on private property (with owner’s permission).

The entire project is expected to be complete by spring 2023, and work includes improvements to stormwater infrastructure including replacing an aging storm drain and installing a new tidal valve to keep water from coming up the drain and flooding the road during high tide events.

To learn more visit ftlcity.info/hendricksislesrp.