A major beach restoration project at Coquina Beach is wrapping up — but an even larger restoration effort across Anna Maria Island is coming next.
Crews have finished dredging and placing approximately 63,450 cubic yards of sand along nearly 0.9 miles of Coquina Beach, from just south of 13th Street South toward Longboat Pass.
The project was designed to repair shoreline damage caused by Hurricane Idalia while also improving navigation depths through Longboat Pass.
The major dredging and sand placement operations are now complete. Crews are finishing the remaining work, including removing pipeline and tilling sections of the beach.
Most of Coquina Beach remains open, although localized closures may continue around equipment as the final work is completed.
And this isn’t the end of the beach restoration work on Anna Maria Island.
A much larger, approximately $32 million island-wide renourishment project is expected to begin in November. That project will address additional erosion and storm damage from Debby, Helene and Milton and is expected to continue into spring 2027.
The upcoming work will extend across additional portions of Bradenton Beach and Holmes Beach, along with sections of Cortez and Coquina beaches.
For an island that took significant damage during multiple storms, these projects are an important part of rebuilding and protecting one of Manatee County’s most recognizable stretches of coastline.
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