News Release

Major Hurricane Repair Project to Begin April 26 at Biscayne National Park

Date: April 6, 2021
Contact: Dani Cessna, 305-283-1979

HOMESTEAD, Fla. — In late April, the National Park Service (NPS) will kick off a $6.3 million project to complete repairs to areas of Biscayne National Park significantly damaged by Hurricane Irma in 2017.

“This construction project marks a critical step toward restoring Biscayne National Park,” said Superintendent Penelope Del Bene. “The project incorporates sustainability measures to address relative sea-level rise and improve the park’s ability to withstand future high intensity storms.”

The project was awarded to Miami-based Continental Heavy Civil Corporation with supplemental funding from Public Law 115-123, which allocated $206 million for national park units significantly impacted by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria. Site work is set to begin April 26 and run through summer of 2022.

Project repairs include the following:

Adams Key – Restoring the Adams Key docks used by staff and visitors by replacing 2,175 square feet of concrete and wooden dock and dock piles with a new concrete deck and concrete piles, and replacing five broken mooring piles next to the existing submerged concrete boat ramp.

Black Point Jetty – Replacing 6,340 square feet of shoreline revetment on the jetty trail to restore, stabilize and protect the shoreline and enhance visitor safety. Additional revetment will be added at the eastern end of the jetty for a maintenance vehicle turn-around. The park also plans to restore, re-grade and compact 21,500 square feet of gravel trail surface.

Boca Chita – Stabilizing shorelines for visitor use and safety by repairing approximately 30,000 square feet of shoreline in two separate areas on the eastern side of Boca Chita. The shoreline will be filled and reconstructed with sand matching the existing quality and vegetated with native plantings.

Convoy Point (Boardwalk and Trails) – Restoring the integrity of the Convoy Point recreational trails and improving safety by replacing the boardwalk with a new timber structure on helical (deeply embedded spiral or screw) piles and extending it at the existing hardened trail to the footbridge. The rock retaining wall will be repointed and low-voltage lighting will be placed at edge of the boardwalk. The 4,320 square feet of hardened trail, between the existing boardwalk and fixed bridge to the jetty, will be replaced with boardwalk. The jetty repairs will include the addition of fill-materials to restore the shoreline and walking surface elevations, and revetment will be placed to match the toe of the existing revetment. Additionally, the boardwalk will be extended approximately 50 feet beyond the fixed bridge to provide accessibility to the jetty, aligned with the Architectural Barriers Act Accessibility Standard (ABAAS).

Convoy Point (Docks) – Replacing the floating docks at the Dante Fascell Visitor Center and repairing the fixed concrete docks at park headquarters. The floating docks that serve the visitor center will be completely removed and replaced in the same configuration. Concrete piles will be added at the end of each finger dock to provide stability during storm events. At the park headquarters docks, new floating docks and utility pedestals will be installed to match the existing facilities. The gangways will be salvaged, stored and reinstalled when dock replacement is completed. Repairs to the park headquarters fixed concrete dock include replacing concrete deck surface and fenders.

Convoy Point (Entrance Road) – Repairing eroded shoreline on the southside of the park entrance road to stabilize the slopes adjacent to the roadway. Approximately 300 feet of shoreline will be restored to its original design by placement of fill, and revetment will be placed to protect the area from future erosion.

Impacts to park visitors will vary for each facility. As project-related closures and other changes are implemented, updates will be posted to the park’s website at www.nps.gov/bisc and @BiscayneNPS on Facebook and Twitter.