PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — A huge beach renourishment project is starting today on Pass-a-Grille Beach.

The two-phase project is expected to take months and county leaders want to make sure the public knows when and where it's happening so residents and visitors can still enjoy the beach while the work is underway.

Just as peak season is underway for the beach, this project is starting but officials say there’s no better time than now to make sure the sand here is where it needs to be.

The entire project is expected to be completed August of this year.

Since there are two phases, there will be portions of the beach closed while the other portion remains open.

The pier is expected to be closed for the length of the project.

So what does this mean for beach goers? There’s a link that will keep you updated on the latest with the project.

There’s also a group working with the county to ensure the turtle nesting is protected during this process.

“Once it’s done it’s going to have a total width of about 165 feet,” said Dr. John Bishop, Pinellas County’s Coastal Management Coordinator. “After the 2014 project it was that wide and it eroded back to this point. We need to replace this sand every ten years or so or it will continue to erode back.”

As of Monday, the beach is closed from 1st Avenue to 9th Avenue including the fishing pier. And about 40 beach parking spaces on Gulf Way between 1st Avenue and 3rd Avenue are also closed for the duration of the project.