SANIBEL, Fla. — If you've tried visiting Lighthouse Beach Park on Sanibel Island recently, you might have noticed signs saying the park is closed. That's because phase two of the beach renourishment project has begun.
WATCH SANIBEL COMMUNITY CORRESPONDENT ANVAR RUZIEV SHARE THE LATEST DETAILS ON THE SANIBEL BEACH RENOURISHMENT PROJECT:
Crews are hard at work, placing more than 105,000 tons of sand to strengthen the coastline and protect the historic Sanibel Lighthouse. This project is part of a larger effort that had to be paused earlier this year due to sea turtle nesting season.
"We began work last spring to renourish the beach here at Lighthouse Beach Park. This area was hit particularly hard by Hurricane Ian," said Holly Milbrandt, Sanibel's Natural Resources Director.
The sand is being trucked in from inland mines in Moore Haven to match the natural sand of Sanibel's beaches. The goal isn't just to restore the beaches but also to prepare them for more frequent storms in the future.
"Certainly these increased storms are going to challenge us and have to potentially make us think about doing these kinds of events more often," Milbrandt explained.
By adding sand both on the beach and into the water, the idea is to build up the beach and create more space between the water and important structures like the lighthouse. This will help protect the island from storm surge and flooding.
"By placing sand not only on the beach but out into the water, we're actually building the beach and adding a lot more space between our upland structures and the water that's out there in the Gulf of Mexico," Milbrandt said.
The project around the lighthouse will cost about $4 million and will be mostly paid for by the State of Florida's Hurricanes Ian and Nicole Recovery Plan. While parts of the beach are temporarily closed during construction, other beach parks on the island will stay open.
Work on the project is expected to be completed by mid-January of 2025. In the meantime, two bayside parking lots will remain open for visitors. Other beach parks that are open and ready for enjoyment include Gulfside City Beach Park, Bowman's Beach Park, Tarpon Bay Road Beach Park, and the Sanibel Boat Ramp Beach Park.
