The federal government approved a plan by hotel owners to build 2 miles (3 kilometers) of artificial beach adjacent to 25 hotels in Cancun, where the storm caused an estimated US1 billion in damage and washed away vast stretches of beach.

Environmental Secretary José Luis Luege said in a statement that the new beach, made from sand dredged from the sea floor off Cancun, will be bankrolled entirely by private interests. Officials did not say how much the project will cost or when work is scheduled to begin.

Construction teams will pile sandbags on the beach to create space to work and protect crews from the waves. The bags will eventually be covered by sand to create artificial dunes, said Ricardo Juárez, the Environmental Department's director of impact and risk.

The plastic bags holding the sand are nontoxic and will gradually decompose and disappear into the newly formed dunes, Juárez said.

Luege said the privately financed efforts will complement a federal plan to rebuild an additional 18 miles (28 kilometers) of beaches lost to Wilma.

IMPORTED SAND A POSSIBILITY

The government project is expected to begin in a few weeks and will cost 200 million pesos (US19 million). While officials are still studying the possibility of bringing in sand from elsewhere in Mexico, workers may eventually attempt to dredge it from the sea floor in a process similar to the one private interests hope to employ.

Hurricane Wilma slammed into Cancun at Category 4 strength on Oct. 21, killing four people and damaging or destroying thousands of homes, businesses and hotels, as well as forcing the airport to close to all but emergency flights. Tens of thousands of tourists were left stranded for several days.

Tourism Secretary Rodolfo Elizondo said last week that officials hope as much as 75 percent of Cancun and other popular Caribbean destinations will be rebuilt and ready to accept travelers by Dec. 15, the traditional beginning of the winter holiday tourist season.