What is happening with the St. Augustine bayfront seawall project?

Updated October 2026

Published October 21, 2026 · Vic Curro, Licensed Florida Real Estate Sales Associate SL3487040, The Good Life Real Estate LLC, St. Augustine, FL

The barge off the bayfront is a $19.9 million Florida Department of Transportation project to replace the seawall along Avenida Menendez, from the Bridge of Lions to Charlotte Street. Work started in June 2026 and FDOT lists completion for fall 2027. I am Vic Curro, REALTOR® with The Good Life Real Estate LLC in St. Augustine, FL. I am downtown a lot, and most people walking past that barge have no idea what it is for, so here is the plain version from FDOT's published plans. I am not an expert on seawalls; everything below comes from the project page linked at the bottom.

What exactly is FDOT building along Avenida Menendez?

Three things change, according to FDOT's project description. First, the post-and-chain barrier along the water is replaced by a solid 42-inch coquina wall. Second, the raised walkway is rebuilt and lowered to street level, so the bayfront path sits level with Avenida Menendez instead of a step above it. Third, the timber pergolas along the walkway are removed during construction and rebuilt when the wall is done. The project runs the full stretch from the Bridge of Lions north to Charlotte Street, which is the part of the bayfront most visitors and locals walk between the fort and the Plaza. The $19.9 million figure and the fall 2027 completion date are FDOT's, and both can move; check the project page for the current schedule before you plan around it.

Why does a seawall project matter if you live here or are moving here?

Because the bayfront is the front porch of downtown. The seawall is what stands between the Matanzas River and Avenida Menendez during a storm tide, and a taller, solid wall changes how that stretch holds up when the water comes over, which it has in recent storms. The lowered walkway changes how the bayfront feels to walk, bike and sit on. And for the next year or so the construction itself changes the downtown experience: the barge, the fencing, and sections of the walkway closed while crews work. If you are looking at homes downtown, in Davis Shores across the bridge, or anywhere you would drive Avenida Menendez daily, this is worth knowing before you fall in love with a house. If you are selling near the bayfront, a finished project in fall 2027 is a date buyers will ask about.

When will the bayfront walkway be back to normal?

FDOT's published completion target is fall 2027, with work having started in June 2026. That is roughly a year and a half of construction along the most photographed stretch of the city. Pergolas come back after the wall is finished, so expect the bayfront to look unfinished even after the wall itself is in. Dates on projects like this move with weather, permitting and tides, so treat fall 2027 as a target, not a promise. The project page below is the only source I would trust for the current schedule, and it is where I check before I answer anyone's question about it.

Where can you check the official schedule?

FDOT's Northeast Florida project page for this job is linked under Sources at the bottom of this page. It has the scope, the budget and the schedule, and it is updated by the people doing the work. If you see a different number quoted somewhere, including by me, the project page wins. I also post what is going on around town on the Local page, and you can read what past clients have said about working with me.

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