Ponce Inlet North Jetty Gets Temporary Staircase

Public access has been restored to the North Jetty in Ponce Inlet, the Volusia County government announced last week. A temporary access has been installed ahead of a full rebuild of the wooden jetty connector in spring 2026. The North Jetty is located on the north side of Ponce de Leon Inlet, where the Halifax River and Indian River meet and connect with the Atlantic Ocean. Lighthouse Point Park, located at the end of South Peninsula Drive in Ponce Inlet, provides beachgoers access to one of the county’s more popular coastal destinations. According to the county government’s statement on the project, a set of temporary wooden stairs have been installed to allow residents and visitors to access the beach. This marks a major step toward repairing the damage to Volusia County’s key beachside infrastructure in recent weather events. The previous wooden connector structure was destroyed in a severe high tide on October 11th, caused by offshore storms in the Atlantic Ocean. In this temporary phase beach access is limited to stairs, while the permanent replacement next year will re-establish ramp access to the beach. “Since Hurricane Matthew in 2016, the wooden jetty connector has required several rebuilds, each completed in compliance with permitting limitations,” the county government said in their statement. “Similar to dune walkovers, state regulations require structures built on the sand to be breakaway timber structures that are designed to give way during severe tidal and storm conditions. While wooden structures are more susceptible to damage during severe tidal and storm events, they remain the only permitted option for maintaining public access to the jetty deck at this time.” As opposed to the Volusia County government spearheading this rebuild, the North Jetty is owned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The Army Corps of Engineers have been carrying out beach restoration and reconstruction along much of Florida’s Atlantic coast since it was battered by multiple hurricanes over the last five years, eroding coastline and damaging infrastructure. Because the Jetty is under the Army Corps of Engineers’ ownership, the Volusia County says they’re unable to install permanent installations like concrete to bolster the structure against future damage. Doing so would require the consent of the owners. Still, the county government is working with the Army Corps of Engineers to extend the currently-constructed concrete deck by a 400-foot stretch west toward the area’s pavilions. This inquiry is currently in the permitting process. The county says this would “significantly improve storm resilience while enhancing and expanding safe, reliable access to the jetty for years to come.”