The West Coast Inland Navigation District will soon start dredging Phillippi Creek from Sarasota Bay to about 1,000 feet east of Tamiami Trail.
Justin McBride, executive director of the West Coast Inland Navigation District, which is overseeing the work done by Sully’s LLC, said the contractor is currently testing the equipment and dredging should begin in earnest by the end of April.
Motorists driving on U.S. 41 past Philippi Estate Park have likely seen the staging area for Sully’s equipment near the edge of the creek.
Why is the mouth of Philippi Creek being dredged?
McBride said this portion of the Philippi Creek dredging project is being performed to improve navigation of the creek.
Close to the Tamiami Trail bridge over the creek, Sully’s workers will be using hydraulic dredging, with sediment being removed by suction.
Farther up the creek, they will use conventional dredging equipment that scoops up and removes sediment.
The West Coast Inland Navigation District is paying for this $3 million project out of its budget, which is primarily funded through property taxes at a rate of 0.0394 mills.
It is administering the project at the request of Sarasota County, which is in the midst of a massive dredging of the creek that was prompted by flooding that occurred during the 2024 hurricane season.
When did Sarasota County start dredging Philippi Creek?
Dredging of the 7.2-mile creek, which could cost as much as $64 million, started at the end of December 2025.
Phase 1 of the project, which is projected to cost about $16 million, began in December and addressed high spots in the creek, and is expected to wrap up by the summer of 2026.
About $75 million of the $210.1 million Sarasota County received from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to Sarasota County for recovery from the 2024 hurricane season has been earmarked for Philippi Creek dredging.
Phase 2 will be paid for out of those federal funds, administered through the Resilient SRQ hurricane recovery program.
Designs, permitting and a construction contract are expected this spring of 2026.
Earle Kimel primarily covers local governments in Sarasota County as well as land development and environmental issues for the Herald-Tribune. Follow him on Facebook, and X. He can be reached by email at earle.kimel@heraldtribune.com. Support local journalism by subscribing.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: $3M Sarasota dredging project begins on flood-prone creek
Reporting by Earle Kimel, Sarasota Herald-Tribune / Sarasota Herald-Tribune
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