The Port of Palm Beach announced that the Palm Beach Inlet will be temporarily closed on Saturday, March 1, from 7:30 a.m. to noon. The closure is due to the installation of a dredging discharge pipe. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Jacksonville District, will begin maintenance dredging of the Palm Beach Harbor on or around March 3. The Dredge E.W. Ellefson, a cutter/suction dredge, is expected to remove around 191,000 cubic yards of shoaling material from the entrance channel and settling basins over two to three weeks, according to The Port of Palm Beach. These operations will occur 24 hours per day, seven days a week until completion. The dredge material will be pumped and screened onto the adjacent beach at Palm Beach Island, south of the inlet’s south jetty. The project ensures the maintenance of the harbor’s authorized depth while remaining safe for commercial shipping and navigable servitude, according to The Port of Palm Beach. “Boaters and navigators are advised to maintain safe distances and low wake speeds in the vicinity of the dredge and attendant equipment, and to follow signage and crew instructions to maintain public safety during the dredging operation,” The Port of Palm Beach stated. The project was awarded to Weeks Marine Inc. of Covington, Louisiana, on Nov. 22, 2024. The contract amount is $10,125,750, according to The Port of Palm Beach. Images by The Port of Palm Beach.