Port Everglades sand project advances, but neighbors report disruptions

Barges, cranes and excavators have become a familiar sight off Port Everglades as Broward County moves sand to replenish beaches, but neighbors near the work zone have complained about noise and other disruptions. The sand-bypass effort is designed to protect the shoreline south of the inlet, and it is expected to place about 887,000 cubic yards of upland sand along Broward’s coast with a 100% federal cost share.

The Port Everglades Sand Bypass Project grew out of decades of planning, design and permitting and is being built in four phases: dredging, north jetty improvements, artificial reef mitigation and rubble clearing. Great Lakes Dredge and Dock’s Dredge 54 is digging the sand trap on the north side of the inlet, where sand that would otherwise be carried away by erosional and offshore transport is collected before being placed south of the inlet.

The county’s most chronically eroded stretch includes Dr. Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park, Dania Beach, Hollywood Beach and Hallandale Beach. The bypass system can supply about 50% of the sand needs for the area south of Port Everglades Inlet, with dredging events expected every 2 to 4 years. The project is intended to mitigate decades of sand starvation south of the inlet and be completed by 2027. The idea dates back to at least 1963.

Segment III beach renourishment was delivered in April 2024 along Dr. Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park, Dania, Hollywood and Hallandale beaches. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Flood Control and Coastal Emergencies program covered 100% of the cost after Hurricane Irma recovery.

In June 2026, conservation groups and dive operators threatened legal action over the Port Everglades Inlet Sand Bypassing Project, arguing it could affect endangered corals and other marine life near the inlet.