Jefferson County planned, even before Ike, to pump sand from about five miles out in the Gulf onto the McFaddin beach to create a sand barrier.

County Engineer Don Rao said the county working with the Army Corp of Engineers and the General Land office to get the project underway.

Since Ike, County Commissioners have allocated an additional $50,000 for preparation of documents that will allow the project to proceed.

The state highway department has already committed to fund 90 percent of the cost of construction, and will proceed with road reconstruction as soon as the sand is on the beach.

With the area’s wildlife threatened even more since Ike damaged the coast, Rao said he hoped the project would be fast-tracked.

“I don’t see that what we are doing now is any different than what we were looking at before. We just need to hurry more now,” Rao said.

Since Ike, and additional 5-mile stretch of Highway 87 has been closed.

Contact this reporter at skoonce@panews.com.