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'We're In This Together': Ft. Lauderdale Police Chief Asking For Patience As Beach Nears Reopening

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FORT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) – It's a clear path to the finish line.

A1A on Fort Lauderdale beach is nearly clear of the sand that covered the road Monday after Irma roared through.

Tons of sand is now scooped up ready for redistribution.

However, the beach remains off limits to most. Fort Lauderdale Police Chief Rick Maglione says that's a matter of public safety.

"The city crews are working diligently and 24 hours a day to get the beach back to normal," he said. "Until then, we are limiting the access the beach."

Most traffic lights are still out on the beach.

There are checkpoints at every point leading to Fort Lauderdale Beach.

Only residents and people with a good reason like a business owner checking on their establishment are being allowed in.

Residents are still clearing the debris from their homes.

"It's really hard. We have no A/C, no power, nothing. It's really hot," said Madison Saar. "And in our neighborhood all the power line polls are down."

Business owners along the beach, shuttered for days and losing money because of the storm, are anxious to reopen

"We're all in this together. We are anxious as everybody else is. And we want nothing more but to restore the beach and the entire city of Fort Lauderdale to the way it was prior to," Maglione said. "So I'm just asking that the folks be patient, and we're gonna do this as quickly as we can."

The hope is the beach will be open by Wednesday. Until then, the whole city remains under a curfew from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.

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