The “end of the road” will soon become a lot less sandy.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced this week it will construct a new gravel parking lot at the popular access to Sardis Lake.

County Road 314 ends almost at Sardis Lake and has been known as the “end of the road” for decades. It has been a popular area for families during the day, and students in the evenings, even though the area technically closes at sundown.

The county road ends near the lake and cars literally drive onto the beach, but that will soon change, according to Greg Raimondo, chief public affairs officers for the Vicksburg District of the USACE.

The access point is now temporarily closed and the construction of a new gravel parking lot will begin this week.

The area serves as an access point for portions of the shoreline between the Clear Creek and Coontown recreation areas.

The new lot will provide a stable parking surface, rather than just sand, where erosion has limited access to the

area at times. Vehicle access will be limited to the parking area only once it’s constructed.

According to information from the corps, there will be access points for all-terrain vehicles and pedestrians.

Raimondo said the parking lot should take about six weeks to complete.

“We will have the parking lot accessible by summer,” he said Thursday.

Raimondo said the cost for the new lot is minimal.

“We already have almost all the materials to construct the parking lot and work will be accomplished by our personnel on regular work hours,” he said.