Vehicular Access to Elmer's Island- Closed Temporarily

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Timing is everything, and sometimes the state's could hardly be worse. The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority announced Thursday they will close the east side of Elmer's Island to vehicular traffic beginning March 21 to continue construction on the largest coastal restoration project in state history.

Elmer's Island, one of Louisiana's few drivable beaches, is popular with shore-bound anglers when speckled trout show up in the surf in the spring and summer.

Charlie Melancon, secretary of the department, said he recognizes the timing isn't the best.

"We understand the inconvenience to fishermen and recreational users," he said. "However, once completed, this restored beach will offer visitors a pristine recreational area for many years to come."

The construction is part of the Caminada Headland Beach and Dune restoration project, which will rebuild a 13-mile stretch of beach and dunes from Belle Pass eastward to Caminada Pass. The project is utilizing 8.4 million cubic yards of sand barged in from Ship Shoal, a site located 30 miles to the southwest.

The $200 million project is the largest ever constructed by CPRA, and is critical to the state's restoration goals, according to Johnny Bradberry, chairman of CPRA.

"This barrier area is very important for protecting the port, the road and the homes just north of the beach and marsh," he said.

The department will open a parking area at the end of the beach's access road to allow anglers to leave their vehicles and hike to the beach's popular eastern area. The western section of the beach will remain off-limits to both vehicular and foot traffic.

The department anticipates the work on the eastern part of the island will stretch through early fall.

State-owned Elmer's Island is located just to the west of Grand Isle, near the end of Highway 1.

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