Sanford, FL – April 3, 2018 – The Smyrna Dunes Park Boardwalk Renovation project met an important milestone last week reaching 88% completion of the new two-mile elevated boardwalk that extends across 73 acres of land at the northern tip of the New Smyrna Beach peninsula. Team members from Wharton-Smith, Nature Bridges, DMC Engineers, Zev Cohen and Volusia County gathered to celebrate the achievement with a BBQ lunch catered by Four Rivers.
Smyrna Dunes Park is one of Volusia County’s most popular destinations providing unique opportunities for naturalists, ecologists, students, and visitors to see a wide variety of animals, birds, reptiles, marine life, and vegetation in their natural habitat. Over time, the 30-year existing boardwalk had degraded and was in need of upgrades. The new boardwalk is two feet wider and includes ramp access to the beach rather than stairs making it ADA compliant. It also features Trex composite decking, new pavilions and new observation towers. Construction has been phased to maximize usable areas of the park during the construction process.
Following lunch, the team walked the almost two miles of the boardwalk to capture a photo at the connecting bridge. “Making this connection of the main boardwalk represents the teamwork of all parties during the challenging portions of the project,” said Matt Snyder, Project Superintendent for Wharton-Smith. “We have all worked together to overcome obstacles and make this project come together,” he added.
In addition to achieving consensus on permits from the Federal, State, County and City agencies, the team had to overcome challenges associates with endangered species. Four were spotted during construction – the sea turtle, gopher tortoise, indigo snake and southeastern beach mouse. Sections of the boardwalk remained open during construction, so there was the added challenge of keeping the public safe and controlling those surfers who prefer to take short cuts through the construction site.
The new boardwalk is expected to be complete early May with the park hosting a grand celebration on Memorial Day.
Click here to see photos from the event.