BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — Officials in Brevard County say crews are working to bolster area beaches to protect them from future storms.

Around 1,700 truckloads are being brought in from a Fort Pierce mine to add 30,000 cubic yards of sand to the eroded shoreline, with the major focus on a 1.5 mile stretch south of the Sebastian Inlet. 

Sebastian Inlet River District officials say the $1.3 million project — which is being paid for with ad valorem taxes — is much cheaper than dredging, which can cost several million dollars.

“The reason we do this is the inlet affects the down-drift beaches, as far as losing some of the sand, and it ends up in the inlet system,” said Sebastian Inlet River District spokesperson Ed Garland.

The Florida Beach and Shore Preservation Act mandates the work to be done every few years, making it an ideal time because of the serious erosion caused by Hurricane Ian and Hurricane Nicole.

Many residents say they are relieved to see the project getting underway.

“We’ve been asking for this, and we appreciate it — the whole community, it’s a good community thing,” said longtime resident Tuck Ferrell.

Ferrell wants people to know the dune system protects everyone, including homeowners, across the Indian River lagoon.

“A lot of people all over the beach area are concerned," he said. "And a lot of people who live on the mainland, because this is the barrier island, it protects everything."

Some beach access points will be temporarily closed while work is being done.

The project is expected to be finished by March 1.