Beach renourishment on Lido Key underway

Lido Key beach’s shoreline renourishment project is underway.

Hundreds of thousands of cubic yards of sand will be dredged from New Pass and placed on the beach as part of the project, much needed after recent hurricanes and storms have caused shoreline degradation to the popular beach just south of Longboat Key.

“Since the last renourishment in 2021, the city has prioritized this critical infrastructure project as a strategic investment in coastal resilience, public safety and natural resource preservation,” a city of Sarasota webpage detailing the project describes. The renourishment will fill the southern half of Lido Key, targeting areas that have seen up to 90 feet of shoreline degradation, according to the city.

Sand for the project, about 311,000 cubic yards of it, will be dredged from New Pass in five phases, or cuts. That dredging began Monday and will continue until about March 26, weather permitting.

“Sand will be conveyed to Lido Beach using floating, submerged, and shore (seaward/western route) pipelines placed on Lido Beach from north to south,” the project website describes.

Portions of Lido Key beach will be closed to the public during the renourishment, and contractors will stage in the parking lot south of the pavilion, which will remain open.

The renourishment is part of a 50-year agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers where renourishments are scheduled every five years. Sarasota County, the city of Sarasota and USACE work together on the project.

After the renourishment and a summer break, dune construction will take place beginning in the fall and continue through early 2027.