Ben Quartermaine, Sarasota County’s stormwater director, said the county launched Phase 1 of the Phillippe Creek Dredge Project on Dec. 10 and described the work as a six-month, $15,000,000 construction effort.

“This project is a dredge project from Tuttle to Beniva, and it's effectively a 50 foot wide by 4 foot dredge,” Quartermaine said, specifying the geographic reach and the excavation dimensions. He added, “It's a 6 month construction project, and it's a $15,000,000 construction cost.”

Quartermaine said the county will seek approval for a second phase. “The county commissioners are considering phase 2 of this project, which we will bring for consideration in late March, early April,” he said, signaling a forthcoming formal review by the Board of County Commissioners.

County staff warned residents about near-term impacts. “Residents can expect some construction equipment noises as well as a significant amount of, dump trucks hauling debris away from these areas. So please be mindful of construction traffic if you're in the Phillipe Creek area,” Quartermaine said, urging caution for people traveling near the work zone.

For more information, Quartermaine directed the public to the county project page at scgov.net/filthycreek.

Next steps: Phase 1 construction is under way; Phase 2 will be presented to county commissioners for consideration in late March or early April, according to Quartermaine.