Estero Island Beach Nourishment Project off...

FORT MYERS BEACH, Fla. —

Work has started on Fort Myers Beach to strengthen the island when a storm hits. Crews are dredging 950,000 cubic yards of sand to go onto the beach. This is going on as our NBC2 First Alert Hurricane Tracking Team has an eye on a system heading in our area.

"I’m a little surprised I figured it would be done by now; you know, two years seems to be a long time to get going," said Jim Stempert.

"We got here yesterday [Thursday], and they told us what it was and what was going on, so we knew about it, but yeah, I mean, it’s huge," said Elizabeth Stahler.

On Friday, workers began filling a dredge pipe with send to protect it from the tropical system expected to impact Southwest Florida this weekend. According to officials, the sand comes from a nearby borrow area in the Gulf of Mexico.

Construction started on North Estero Island near Bowditch Park. The pipeline stretches from the nearshore borrow area in the Matanzas Pass ebb shoal to the beach at FDEP Range Monument 178 by 500 Estero Boulevard.

Town leaders told NBC2 on Friday that the pipe was tested on Wednesday and worked great.

"You have to do it, otherwise you will have no beach left," said Stempert.

"The beach is important the nourishment part of it, because as Lee County, I would say the beach is probably one of the number one attractions in Lee County in Southwest Florida," said Peter Ennis, the owner of Snug Harbor.

Ennis is one of the several business owners who has been watching the project of this project, still looking out for potential storms.

"Everyone on the beach is taking precautions you got to keep your eye on the weather, see what’s going to happen whether it's sandbanks or, you know, putting up hurricane shutters — whatever it might be," Ennis said.

This project is expected to last six months, the town is asking boaters and beachgoers to avoid the areas of construction and take extra caution.