Ponce De Leon Inlet Jetty to Undergo $7 Million Stabilization.

Written by Kristen Schmutz

Belden Communications News

In efforts to have a more stable jetty and safer navigation for boats, a nearly two-year stabilization process will be done on the North Jetty at the Ponce de Leon Inlet.

According to a release, the inlet is a well-used water thoroughfare connecting the Intracoastal Waterway to the Atlantic Ocean. However, strong currents in the inlet can make the journey through the inlet treacherous at times. The two jetties: the north jetty, on the Ponce Inlet side of the channel, and the south jetty, on the New Smyrna Beach side of the channel – were built decades ago to help stabilize the currents and make boating passage safer.

But the north jetty needs stabilization after being battered by two hurricanes in the past four years that completely degraded 100 feet of the original structure.

The jetty project was green-lighted back on July 29, but the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, awarding a contract of $7 million.

County officials were elated at the news that the project is ready to move forward, expressing appreciation for the partnership and support of the Army Corps of Engineers and Coast Guard in getting the project approved and funded.

“That’s really a big thing for us to get $7 million in repairs to our inlet,” Volusia County Manager George Recktenwald said in briefing the County Council Tuesday on the project.

“This work will re-establish the elevation of the north jetty – will close some of the voids that have come because of the storms,” added Recktenwald. “And that will assist with improving the safety through that inlet.”

The federally funded project also includes the construction of a new navigational beacon for the U.S. Coast Guard.

The project is expected to take 19-months to complete, but there is no definitive start date at this time.