John's Pass Dredging Project Completes, Saves Millions

0:00It's April 29th. Welcome in. This is Tampa Bay News today, where local news meets AI. I'm Corey with the story. A dredging project at Johns Pass in Madera Beach, Florida is finally wrapping up after more than two months of work. Crews hauled out thousands of cubic yards of sand from the channel, fixing a buildup that sparked dangerous currents and led to dozens of water. Rescues last year alone. 36 in that spot? The most around. Local businesses chipped in for $40,000 study years back, a 149-page report pushing for dredging down to minus. 21 feet with a sediment trap west of the bridge. But this $1.5 million job only went to minus 12 feet, skipping that deep hole to catch sand long-term. Captain Dylan Hubbard from Hubbard's Marina calls it frustrating, but a step forward. Neighbors noticed the change already. No more false beach drawing swimmers into boat traffic and rip currents, especially kids jumping off the boardwalk.

1:01The dred sand got trucked a few miles to the times to her causeway for fill, saving the city about $1.5 million and may be turning. It into a park someday. It's safe for now for humans, dolphins, and manatees hugging the seawall without channel clashes. Hubbard's already linking up with city and state folks for round two, though permits, design, and funding could drag on for years. For now, this buys real time before sand piles up again.