BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — A major beach renourishment project is soon wrapping up along Space Coast beaches to restore sand lost during Hurricanes Ian and Nicole.

It’s a part of the Brevard County Shore Protection Project which began in November 2023.

Raymond Adamcik of Melbourne sees each day as he comes to his favorite beach spot.

There has been heavy equipment like dump trucks bringing in sand, and excavators doling it out on the eroded area of the beach.

“It’s bad in some places, somewhere the beach is completely washed out,” Raymond said.

This area is known as the Mid-Reach, and it’s an 8-mile stretch of Indian Harbour Beach and Satellite Beach.

Sand is being stockpiled further south to distribute along the coastline.

Previous renourishment on south Brevard beaches was done by an ocean faring barge.

But here it must be trucked in to protect shoreline rock reefs.

When the effort is all done, the dune will be restored and the beach widened 30 more feet to levels seen prior to Nicole in 2022.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is in charge of the nearly $50,000,000 replenishment project, which will ultimately rehab some 12 miles of beach from Patrick Space Force Base to Spessard Hollard Park in Melbourne Beach.

In all, 1.1 million cubic yards of sand is being brought into the critically eroded areas.

Tourism leaders say the beaches are the top reason people visit the space coast, bringing in $2 billion yearly.

County leaders say tax paid by tourists to stay in hotels or short-term rentals is paying for this project.

Raymond says he is a big supporter of the project to restore his beach.

“We need the business, too. Everyone has to benefit, the hotels, the restaurants and other businesses, and it’s part of the way we live here,” he said.

The project took a break from May through October due to sea turtle nesting season but is expected to wrap up in April 2025.