Bulldozers and mounds of sand are just a couple of the sights beachgoers will see on Jacksonville beaches throughout the month of January.
In the coming days, beachgoers may find that portions of Atlantic Beach are blocked due to the Duval County beaches renourishment project, which is expected to finish by Feb. 1.
The project, a response to damage left from Hurricane Irma, started in October in South Jacksonville Beach and has made its way north, now approaching 20th Street. It will eventually wrap up at Hanna Park.
Normally, Duval County’s beaches undergo a project every five or six years. But two back-to-back projects were required in recent years due to hurricanes Matthew and Irma.
Dr. Kevin Bodge, coastal engineering consultant for the city of Jacksonville, said if these projects didn't happen, Jacksonville wouldn't have beaches.
"Rebuilding the dunes -- after they were so badly damaged by Matthew and by Irma -- so the sand has been replaced there," Bodge told News4Jax. ''We're going to put sea oats again back in the spring to early summer."
The project is unique because the majority of it is being paid for by the government. The beach portion is going to cost about $17.5 million, which is federally funded, and the dunes and sea oats portion will cost about $1.5 million, which will be paid by the city of Jacksonville.
Beachgoers should stay off the dunes or they could be fined -- unless they run into a public beach access point, such as the one at 33rd Avenue South where the ramp ends at the dunes. According to Bodge, beachgoers can cross over dunes like those.
"I think the biggest thing is just respect it. Respect the beaches," said Jason Daniels, who was raised in Atlantic Beach. "Respect the fact that everyone wants to enjoy these type of things."
Beach lovers, such as Daniels, are thankful for these projects so that future generations can also enjoy Jacksonville's beaches.
The project currently is located around 20th Street in Atlantic Beach. It will continue north, where it’s expected to finish at Hanna Park by Feb. 1. If the area can avoid major weather events, the next project would be scheduled in 2022 or 2023.