ALVA, Fla — Nearly three years later, a damaged boardwalk at Caloosahatchee Regional Park in Alva just got the green light to be fixed after Hurricane Ian left it in pieces.
Fox 4’s Alva Community Correspondent Austin Schargorodski works in the area daily, so he stopped by the park to check out the damage and hear what neighbors think about the fix.
Watch to see the boardwalk damage and hear from an Alva neighbor:
This park stretches right along the Caloosahatchee with more than 20 miles of hiking trails. But right now it's a little less than that. A stretch of boardwalk is roped off because of damage from Hurricane Ian. You could see dozens of wooden planks missing along the path.
Alannah Felton just started exploring the park, so she says the thought of getting more trails to choose from is a big deal. "There's already so many miles and so many different loops and trails in here, that that's so exciting to me that there will be another option," Felton said.
That’s because commissioners approved a nearly $4 million dollar contract through FEMA and FDEM funding to fix this boardwalk and three others across Lee County, including Galt Preserve, Matanzas Pass Preserve, and Royal Palm Park.
The county says work will begin this fall and, weather permitting, wrap up in about a year. You can track the progress on Lee County’s website. Just look for the “Boardwalk Repairs” section.
