St. Johns County Secures $1.48 Million to Fix Vilano Boat Ramp, Shore Up Summer Haven River

St. Johns County has secured $1.483 million in grant funding to repair the Vilano Boat Ramp and shore up the Summer Haven River, the county announced Sept. 3. The money comes from the St. Augustine Port, Waterway, and Beach District and will fund two separate projects that boaters, anglers and coastal residents have been watching for months.

The bigger share of local attention is going to the Vilano Boat Ramp, one of the county's few deep-water access points to both the Atlantic Ocean and the Intracoastal Waterway. It gets heavy use from recreational boaters and fishermen, and a county engineering assessment completed in June found the ramp needed structural work to keep functioning safely.

The $500,000 awarded for that project will pay for pressure grouting the concrete slabs to stabilize the ramp, installing sheet piles to cut down on erosion and add support, and making targeted repairs to the existing seawall. The county says the work should add roughly 10 years to the ramp's useful life. Engineering, permitting and construction are expected to start this fall, with the project wrapping up by summer 2027.

The remaining $983,000 goes to the Summer Haven River Dredge and Dune Project, further south along the county's coastline. That work involves excavating the river channel and building a dune or berm out of beach-compatible sand, running from the northern revetment down to the Old A1A access point. The goal is to protect nearby infrastructure and natural resources from erosion and storm damage.

Summer Haven has a long history of erosion problems, and the county and the Port, Waterway, and Beach District have partnered on dredging work there before. This latest round builds on that relationship rather than starting from scratch.

County officials say the funding came together through a joint effort between the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, Parks and Recreation, and Coastal Management. The county has not released a bid schedule or contractor name for either project yet, and further design and permitting work will need to happen before shovels go in the ground at Vilano this fall.

Boaters planning around the ramp's fall closure window should watch for construction updates as permitting moves forward, since the county has not yet said whether the ramp will close entirely during work or remain partially open in phases.

Stay connected with more local coverage at St. Johns Community Website, and follow us on Facebook for updates as construction timelines firm up. Got thoughts on the ramp repairs or the Summer Haven project? Join the conversation in our Community Forum. For more stories like this one, visit our government and politics and news sections.