A of SR-A1A in Flagler Beach will be closed Thursday in order to accommodate the ongoing work for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ beach renourishment project. The affected area will span from SR-100 to South 6th Street, and should only last for two to four hours according to a release from the City of Flagler Beach. A road detour will be installed.
During the closure heavy equipment will be used in the area to carry out the next phase of the renourishment, which has been steadily working its way north from the southern end of the county for weeks now. The exact time of the work may be impacted by weather, the city says. The schedule was already affected by the presence of Hurricane Ernesto offshore.
“We thought this move would happen on August 18, which is what has been shown on the FDOT flashing sign to inform the public, but Hurricane Ernesto is expected to create some big swells close to shore even though the storm will pass far from our coast,” said County Coastal Engineering Administrator Ansley Wren-Key. “We also expect the work will have to be paused for 24 to 48 hours this weekend.”
Part of the board on the east side of A1A along the beach is slated to be removed in order to install a sand ramp to get equipment down onto the beach. Once it’s back up off the beach, the Army Corps plans to reinstall the boardwalk back to its previous state.
Residents are asked to expect to take alternate routes while the affected area of SR-A1A is closed, and to give workers their space and not interfere or get close to potentially dangerous equipment. The road closure was chalked up as a public safety measure by the city.
Chris Gollon is a Flagler County resident since 2004, as well as a staple of the local independent music scene and avid observer of Central Florida politics, arts, and recreation.