When Hurricane Ian tore through the state of Florida in September, it left in its wake massive amounts of devastation and destruction. Among those most affected were the over 6,000 residents of Sanibel Island, who found themselves cut off from the mainland when the 3-mile long Sanibel Causeway connecting the island off the west coast of Florida to the rest of the state was severely compromised and impassable. The destruction of the causeway resulted in the near-complete disconnect of Sanibel Island from the much-needed rescue vehicles, first responders, utility vehicles, and aid.
In order to ensure repairs were completed as soon as possible, crews worked around the clock to help restore drivable access. Though a temporary fix, this quick work helped turn an otherwise devastating situation into one with a positive outcome.
“The work that has been done to restore vehicle access to Sanibel Island has been historic,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “Cutting through bureaucratic red tape and delivering on our promise to get Sanibel Island up and running has been a top priority. By restoring access over the causeway, repair crews, first responders, emergency vehicles, business owners and residents will be better able to expedite recovery from this storm.”
DeSantis initially directed the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) on October 4, five days after Ian struck Sanibel Island and the rest of the state, to prioritize repairs on the Sanibel Causeway. Just over two weeks later, the temporary work had been completed, allowing some 350 vehicles safe access to the island to help restore utilities.
“I am grateful for our dedicated team members who quite literally built a road in the Gulf in 15 days,” said FDOT Secretary Jared W. Perdue, P.E. “While the bridges were largely undamaged by the storm, portions of the causeway which connect bridge structures together were washed away by Hurricane Ian, leaving the bridges unconnected to the mainland or the island. A project like this, under normal circumstances, could take months.”
This unprecedented cooperation among and between departments in a time of crisis helped ensure those most affected by Hurricane Ian could be helped as expediently as possible. “FDOT, along with our law enforcement partners at the Florida Highway Patrol, Lee County and Florida Department of Emergency Management made use of strategic and innovative techniques to rebuild the causeways quickly,” said Perdue. “Under Governor DeSantis’ leadership, and thanks to the hard work of hundreds of FDOT employees and contractors, we were able to relink Sanibel Island to the mainland.”
