SANIBEL, Fla. — Trucks will begin hauling sand to northwest Sanibel next week to replace sand lost to erosion due to Hurricane Ian and Hurricane Nicole last year.
The Lee 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.
Engineering estimates from the City of Sanibel determined that the site needs about 70,000 tons of sand.
25 trucks will deliver sand each day starting on Monday, which means fewer trucks on the road compared with other recent sand-hauling operations in Southwest Florida.
The sand comes from the Stewart mine in Immokalee. It is approved as beach compatible by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
The trucking route will be from Immokalee to Sanibel, avoiding Corkscrew Road between Alico Road and Interstate 75.
The work is expected to be completed in about 90 days. Public access at Blind Pass Beach Park and Turner Beach Park will remain open.
