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Mayport Park Temporarily Closed For Mile Point Navigation Project Construction

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Officials have closed a Mayport park while the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers uses it as a construction staging area. 

Helen Cooper Floyd Park, also know as “Little Jetties,” lies along the St. Johns River just west of Mayport Naval Station. The park will be closed for up to two years as the Corps of Engineers begins work on the Mile Point Navigation Project.

Tera Meeks, chief of the City of Jacksonville’s Natural and Marine Resources Division said, "They’ll be removing a little portion of the jetty to restore the natural flow of the water in that area."

"In order to complete the project they need to use the access of the park and get out to that area," she said."

Mile Point refers to the area where the the St. Johns River meets the Intracoastal Waterway. The confluence creates dangerous crosscurrents that prevent large ships from navigating the area at ebb tide.

The Army Corps Mile Point Project is designed to correct the issue at an estimated cost of $36 million.

You can follow Peter Haden @HadenMedia.

Peter Haden is an award-winning investigative reporter and photographer currently working with The Center for Investigative Reporting. His stories are featured in media outlets around the world including NPR, CNN en Español, ECTV Ukraine, USA Today, Qatar Gulf Times, and the Malaysia Star.