Why is the walk to the water at 3rd Avenue North still blocked by a fence this October, when the city's list of beach ends from Central Avenue down to 33rd Avenue South reads "Construction Complete" almost line by line?
The closed ends on Gulf Shore Boulevard North were never part of the beach-end refresh most of Naples has watched over the past year and a half. They are the work sites for a separate, much larger job. That job moves the city's stormwater drainage off the beach and sends it out under the Gulf. These four entrances come back last because they sit on top of the part of the system still being built.
Two projects, one fence line
Most of the reopened beach ends belong to the city's Public Beach Access Restoration Project. Infinite Construction, LLC won that contract in April 2025 for about $2.59 million to restore 30 of the city's 40 access points. The work cut back on impervious surface and leaned toward what the city calls a more natural, "Old Florida" look. Some beach ends ended up with fewer benches than before and some with more. That project is the reason 1st Avenue North, Central Avenue and most of the South avenues now show as finished.
The city's status table lists a different project next to 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 8th Avenue North. All four are closed for the Stormwater Beach Outfall Project. One other beach end in the city is closed right now. That's 12th Avenue South, which is fenced for the Naples Pier rebuild.
| Beach access | City status | Listed project |
|---|---|---|
| 8th Ave N | Closed | Stormwater Beach Outfall Project |
| 7th Ave N | Open | Construction complete |
| North Lake Drive | Open | Construction complete |
| 6th Ave N | Open | Construction complete |
| 4th Ave N | Closed | Stormwater Beach Outfall Project |
| 3rd Ave N | Closed | Stormwater Beach Outfall Project |
| 2nd Ave N | Closed | Stormwater Beach Outfall Project |
| 1st Ave N | Open | Construction complete |
| Central Avenue | Open | Construction complete |
Read from north to south, the stretch alternates. Open beach ends sit between the closed ones, so even now the water is never more than a few blocks away.
What sits under the sand
The outfall project removes eight stormwater pipes that now discharge straight into the Gulf. The work runs along Gulf Shore Boulevard from Oleander Drive to just south of 2nd Avenue South. Those pipes are the concrete mouths that empty across the sand after a heavy rain.
The removal was not optional. The City of Naples says the state made taking out the beach outfalls a condition of the county's beach-nourishment projects. The city lists water quality, erosion, beach access, sea turtle nesting habitat and flooding as concerns tied to the existing pipes.
The replacement system gathers the flow, treats it, and pumps it through outfalls under the seabed. Discharge will no longer land in the swash zone where people wade. GRAEF, the engineering firm, describes about 6,000 feet of new pipe from 24 to 54 inches in diameter. Pump stations screen and filter the stormwater, which is then routed roughly 1,500 feet offshore. The system is sized for a 25-year storm. Gulfshore Business reports that the offshore section alone uses 3,200 feet of 36-inch HDPE pipe.
The two pump stations are at 3rd Avenue North and 8th Avenue North, the two closed beach ends at either end of the run. That's why those two have been fenced the longest. In February, crews started fusing outfall pipe and began horizontal directional drilling for the 8th Avenue North station. By late May, the city reported that drilling had placed outfall pipes at both stations. The large dig at Gulf Shore Boulevard North and 3rd Avenue North was in the middle of its cast-in-place concrete pours.
The city's own newsletter put the end goal in one line:
"Most of the finished work will never be seen, and we mean that in the best possible way."
The calendar, as published
City Council approved a guaranteed maximum price of $86,224,216 with Kiewit Infrastructure South Co. on June 19, 2024. Kiewit serves as construction manager at risk. GRAEF dates the groundbreaking to October 15, 2024. Since then, the public schedule has gone like this:
- January 2025. The city's project update targets completion by the end of 2026.
- March 2026. City Connect says the 3rd and 8th Avenue North beach ends will stay closed through December 2026 while the pump stations are built.
- May 2026. The city reports it is ahead of schedule. It expects the 3rd Avenue North station running by August, three months early, and the 8th Avenue North station finished by September. The last phase, covering roadway, drainage and water main from 1st Avenue North to 2nd Avenue South, is set to start in August and end by year's end. The whole project is now estimated to finish by May 2027.
- August 11, 2026. The Naples Daily News reports, citing the city, that all four major construction components are more than 60% complete.
- June 4, 2027. This is the contractual completion date. Gulfshore Business reports Kiewit expected to finish in May or sooner.
The August and September pump-station targets have now passed. As of early October, we found no public notice that either station has reached its milestone, and the city's table still shows all four beach ends closed. No reopening date has been published for any single beach end. The December 2026 window from March is the most specific one the city has given, and it covers 3rd and 8th Avenue North only.
The last item on the city's list matters most for the beach itself. The existing pipes come out only once the new system is fully running. The beach loses its old pipes after the new stations come online, so that cleanup will be one of the final steps.
Who pays for the pipe moving offshore
The funding figures vary depending on when they were recorded. In June 2024, a city budget resolution listed a $25 million state appropriation. Other sources included $27 million in new debt, $8 million in sales-tax money, $2.56 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds, and money from the city's Stormwater and Beach funds. The project website now cites an $86 million total and $40 million from the state through legislative appropriations. Gulfshore Business reports a $29 million public utilities revenue bond backing the project, repaid through customer utility fees. The same report notes that Council approved a $10 million Collier County Tourist Development Tax grant in June 2025.
Getting to the water this season
The final phase brings construction south along Gulf Shore Boulevard from 1st Avenue North toward 2nd Avenue South, into the blocks closest to Old Naples, through the end of the year. The latest detour guidance we found is from the city's March 2026 notice. It suggests reaching Gulf Shore Boulevard North by way of 7th Avenue North, 3rd Street North and Central Avenue. It also warns that construction vehicles will be pulling in and out of side streets in the project area. Lane closures have changed week to week, so the city's live beach-access page and its traffic bulletins are the more current source. The project's contact line through CMA is (239) 337-1071.
These are the closest open beach ends, by the city's current status:
- Lowdermilk Park, north of the work zone, is open. A new playground is coming at the park's south end. Its notice to proceed was issued July 22, 2026, and it's expected to finish in April 2027. Plans include a lighthouse climbing structure, a new shelter and shaded swings, with a $250,000 gift from the Nommensen Family.
- 7th Avenue North, North Lake Drive and 6th Avenue North are open between the 8th and 4th Avenue North closures.
- 1st Avenue North and Central Avenue are open just south of the 2nd Avenue North fence.
- Broad Avenue South and 13th Avenue South are the two beach ends the city lists with restrooms available. They sit on either side of the closed 12th Avenue South entrance by the pier.
The work has spread past the sand before. When the Naples Beach Club opened, Gulfshore Business reported that the outfall project had closed part of Gulf Shore Boulevard and resort traffic had to come in from the north. The resort opened in November 2025. A few blocks inland, the city finished structural work at Alligator Lake in March 2026. As of the May update, crews were still restoring the pocket park's landscaping, irrigation, paving and facade, and no reopening date had been announced.
As of October 5, 2026, the city's status table shows six beach ends open between Lowdermilk Park and Central Avenue. Four remain closed, with no individual reopening dates, and the old pipes come off the sand once the new stations are running.
An ongoing public works project like this one is also part of what buyers and sellers along Gulf Shore Boulevard North ask about. If you'd like to know how the outfall timeline affects a particular address in Old Naples, The Higdon Team can walk you through it. Request a private consultation.
