DAYTONA BEACH — If you’ve strolled along the sand in Daytona Beach over the past few months, you’ve probably noticed some work going on that might have left you a little puzzled.
The city has two projects underway around the Boardwalk, and is getting ready to tackle a third.
The men climbing around on scaffolding beside the Main Street Arch have been making extensive repairs to the coquina structure that was built in 1928.
The workers digging a huge hole beside the Boardwalk are getting ready to put in new staircases and ramps.
The third project will extend the Boardwalk from Breakers Oceanfront Park south to Harvey Avenue.
Work hasn’t started yet on the Boardwalk extension, so there’s nothing to see for now. But once the Boardwalk reaches farther to the south, it will be a significant change to the area’s landscape.
Daytona Beach Boardwalk being lengthened
With a Señor Frog’s restaurant possibly coming to the northeast corner of Ocean and Harvey avenues, the city has decided to extend the Boardwalk and seawall approximately 295 feet from Breakers Oceanfront Park to Harvey Avenue.
The extended Boardwalk will provide a pedestrian connection if Señor Frog’s is built, and it will improve access from the south to the Boardwalk, pier, Breakers Park and Ocean Walk Shoppes.
In April, city commissioners approved paying Dredging & Marine Consultants of Port Orange $170,237 for design, permitting, bidding assistance, and construction administration services to extend the existing seawall and Boardwalk to Harvey Avenue.
The design will include the needed survey, geotechnical investigations, environmental assessments, regulatory permitting, permit/construction plans, and technical specifications to construct the seawall and Boardwalk.
Construction has not been approved yet, so there is no timeframe or cost estimate for the work.
New beach staircases and ramps
After hurricanes Ian and Nicole tore up parts of the beach in the fall of 2022, the city is moving forward now with building new staircases and ramps from the Boardwalk down to the beach.
Work began Monday, June 2, on the replacement stairs and ramps along the Boardwalk and Breakers Park. A total of 14 staircases and four ramps compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act will be constructed.
The contractor is starting by digging deep to remove rocks and debris from the areas of the beach where they will be driving down new piles to support the stairs and ramps.
Workers are also finding footers from old staircases. Those footers will remain in place and the new pile locations will be adjusted.
The work will take about a year, but access points will be opened as they are completed.
The total cost is $1.5 million, which will also cover seawall repairs at Breakers Park. The Federal Emergency Management Agency and state disaster grants are expected to cover 85% of the project cost.
Main Street Arch overhaul
The Main Street Arch at the southern end of the Boardwalk is being reconstructed because portions of it were structurally unsound.
Restoration efforts began last year after engineers discovered exterior cracking of the arch. Once crews assessed the structure, they identified deteriorated steel and concrete inside the 97-year-old arch.
Crews also found leaks in the slab at the top of the arch, which have been sealed up.
The damaged portions have been repaired and replaced now, and new coquina stone is being installed.
The arch connects the northern and southern ends of the Boardwalk and provides access to the Daytona Beach Pier.
The total cost of the arch work is expected to be $950,000. Work is slated to be completed this summer.
You can reach Eileen at Eileen.Zaffiro@news-jrnl.com
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Daytona Beach Boardwalk is being extended and new staircases will be built
Reporting by Eileen Zaffiro-Kean, Daytona Beach News-Journal / The Daytona Beach News-Journal
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