Sanibel Lighthouse and beach restoration begins

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Sanibel lighthouse
Sanibel Lighthouse undergoing repairs (CREDIT: WINK News)

Sanibel is working hard to bring back the Sanibel Lighthouse and the beach it resides on.

Restoring the lighthouse

Beach parking will be closed on Lighthouse Beach as the Sanibel lighthouse undergoes restoration after being severely damaged by Hurricane Ian.

Construction crews are expected to begin working on Monday morning, and work will continue through Friday.

Crews will be fixing one of the broken cast-iron legs of the lighthouse and will be working on beach nourishment.

The cast-iron leg had been damaged by the storm, and it drifted away. A wooden leg was installed to keep the balance as a temporary solution.

Sanibel Mayor Richard Johnson said that he reached out to a company that had done the original casting to collect the broken pieces and rebuild from the business in Pennsylvania.

Johnson continued to say that construction crews will replace barriers to help brace against storm waves.

“It’s always been a symbol, but it’s more of a symbol now than it’s ever been. It’s just something to give us hope, and we sure don’t want to lose it after losing both of the light keepers’ houses,” said Michael Galloway, a resident of Sanibel.

While parking for Lighthouse Beach will be closed, all other Sanibel beaches are open, with parking available for visitors.

Reviving the beach

The beach renourishment project is looking to revive Lighthouse Beach as a whole.

“We are bringing in over 400,000 tons of sand to replenish and renourish our beaches and bring them back to their pre-hurricane conditions,” said Holly Mibrandt, director of natural resources for Sanibel.

The City of Sanibel has already brought in 100,000 tons of sand to the beach. There are five sections of the beach where sand will be distributed.

The project is expected to be completed by April of 2024.

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