Islander groin construction to begin next week

The town will begin construction on two groins behind The Islander Club, 2295 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Monday, Nov. 2.

Because the two permeable, adjustable-type groins must be built during the six months that sea turtles do not nest on Longboat Key beaches, Public Works Director Juan Florensa said the contractor has been preparing for months for the project.

“A crane that will be driving piles into the water is already on location just north of The Islander Club and the contractor will be on the beach Nov. 1,” Florensa said.

To speed up the process, Florensa said the contractor already has pre-cast concrete structures at a site in Tampa that will be used to construct the two groins.

The contractor, which has until May 1, 2010, to complete the project, will first build a construction platform that will be placed over the water for the use of the construction crew.

Once construction begins in November, Florensa said a best-case scenario for completion of the groins is May 2010, right before the following sea-turtle season.

Punta Gorda-based Marine Contracting Group Inc. is constructing the project, which was originally estimated to cost $1.5 million, for $899,898. That price tag includes construction, mobilization and demobilization costs.

The two groins, which will act as protective concrete structures that extend from the shore to prevent a beach from washing away, will be constructed 20 feet seaward of The Islander Club’s seawall. The groins will be 225 feet long and will measure 11 feet, 4 inches wide. Both groins will be capped with a concrete deck.

The groins can be adjusted by the addition or removal of concrete, teeth-like elements that can make the structures more or less permeable.

Contact Kurt Schultheis at [email protected].