Project to begin to add beach sand to northwest Sanibel
Lee County reported that trucks will begin hauling sand to northwest Sanibel on Aug. 21 to replace sand lost to erosion due to Hurricanes Ian and Nicole last year.
The Lee County Board of County Commissioners voted in January to accept grant funds of $5 million from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection for Hurricane Ian and Nicole Emergency Recovery to place sand on Lee County beaches.
The sand on Sanibel will reinforce the shoreline south of Blind Pass and reduce the vulnerability of Sanibel-Captiva Road, which serves as an evacuation route for the islands. Engineering estimates from the city of Sanibel determined that the site needs about 70,000 tons of sand.
The county reported that about 25 trucks will deliver sand each day, which means fewer trucks on the road compared with other recent sand-hauling operations in Southwest Florida. Sand will be obtained from the Stewart mine in Immokalee, which was approved as beach compatible by the FDEP. The route will be from Immokalee to Sanibel, avoiding Corkscrew Road between Alico Road and Interstate 75.
The work is expected to be complete in about 90 days. Public access at the Blind Pass Beach Park and Turner Beach Park will remain open. Work hours will be from dawn to dusk on weekdays. The city and county ask that motorists and beach-goers be aware and abide by all signs and instructions provided by traffic control personnel in the area.