Indian River County beach restoration continues

Public beach access at Turtle Trail closed this week as work continues to restore the hurricane-damaged beach dunes, Indian River County Coastal Division Programs said. 

Turtle Trail Beach Access, which closed Wednesday, is the latest of the beaches to close after restoration work resumed in November.

The work, which began last year, was suspended between April and November because of sea turtle nesting season. 

The $14.2 million restoration project includes pumping about 280,000 cubic yards of sand along a 2.9-mile stretch of beach between Wabasso Beach Park and northern John’s Island to create a wider beach.

More than 302,000 native plants are being planted on the dunes.

Most of the funding for the project comes from the state Department of Environmental Protection and tourism taxes.