Eglin CE armors island against hurricanes

  • Published
  • By Mike Spaits
  • Team Eglin Public Affairs
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  Eglin's civil engineers are nearly finished restoring and armoring Santa Rosa Island against future hurricanes.

With more than $112 million in construction and restoration work, over 16 miles of roadway and the critical test facilities that occupy the island are nearing completion of a strengthening that could eliminate or minimize damage should future hurricanes target Eglin again.

"We're hopeful these projects will help the island's test and training assets hold up against any future storms," said Dan Robeen, 96th Civil Engineer Group, Chief of Programs Division.
The project is contracted to several different contractors through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers with oversight by the 96th CEG. And, with the exception of the major sand renourishment project on Eglin's Santa Rosa Island, is expected to be finished by mid-June. The overall restoration was segmented into three phases.

Phase 1 included repairing and armoring roads, building retaining walls and restoring beaches.

Seawalls were constructed at Test Areas A-3, A-6 and A-13B - the site of the 300 foot tower in Phase 2. Additionally, sites A-3 and A-13B also have beach renourishment currently underway. A larger scale beach renourishment and will take place for the rest of the island sometime in 2012, completing the work. The reconstruction and armoring of the road on Santa Rosa Island has been underway since late 2009 and is expected to be completed this summer.

The road improvements are expected to protect the road from storm surges up to six feet over the next 50 years.

According to Mr Robeen, Eglin isn't the only community that will benefit from the work on the island.

"One of the additional benefits to this work is Destin will be able to use the dredge contractor to help beef up Holiday Isle when they're finished with our work. Without a contractor being in place for Eglin, the cost to the city and county would have been exponentially greater," he said.