City council on Tybee Island voted Jan. 25 to advance plans for a new dune system design and landscape. (visittybee.com photo)

TYBEE ISLAND, Ga. (AP) City officials at Georgia's largest public beach are moving forward with restoring and improving sand dunes battered by two hurricanes since 2016.

WJCL-TV reported the city council on Tybee Island voted Jan. 25 to advance plans for a new dune system design and landscape. City leaders have been working on the project for years. Brushes with Hurricanes Matthew in 2016 and Irma last year have increased the urgency for new dunes to protect homes and businesses from surging water.

Tybee Island City Manager Sean Gillen said the next step will be deciding how to fund the new dunes.

Gillen said steering clear of nesting sea turtles could also affect the construction timeline. If the project isn't finished when nesting season starts in May, it will have to wait until October.

Today's top stories

Des Moines Airport Works With Weitz/Turner On Expansion

ROMCO Equipment Co., SMT Acquire Bee Equipment Sales

San Francisco County Transportation Authority Bridges Retrofit Addresses Seismic Safety

Year in Review: Bobcat's Major Moments of 2024

MassDOT to Use Drones for Infrastructure Projects; Amherst Exploring New Downtown Designs

Iowa DOT's I-35 Project Includes New Bridges

JM Wood Holds December Auction in Montgomery, Alabama

DEVELON Set to Exhibit at ARA Show 2025