Lee County Commissioners approved a $1.6 million contract on Tuesday for phase one of the Punta Rassa boat ramp restoration project.
The boat ramp parking area has been used as a staging are for the project to restore the Sanibel Causeway and make it more resilient following the damage from Hurricane Ian in 2022.
The Florida Department of Transportation is expected to turn the parking lot back over to Lee County in late spring or early summer.
On Tuesday, the Lee Board of County Commissioners voted to award a $1.6 million contract for phase one restoration of the boat ramp.
The contract includes all underground facilities such as water lines, fire hydrant lines, fish cleaning lift station discharge lines, ADA ramp, irrigation and other associated utilities.
This portion of the project will be funded through the General Fund and the Florida Division of Emergency Management Legislative Appropriations Program Fund.
Underground facilities are expected to begin in March 2025. FDOT is expected to complete the paving operation of the facility in July 2025.
At that time, the county said final striping and signage for the parking lot will begin which is expected to take 4 weeks to complete, allowing the facility to be open to the public.
Construction of Phase 2 of the project, expected to begin this summer, includes installing a fish cleaning station with a shade structure, repairing the northern, middle and southern docks, as well as new landscaping. That work is planned to be complete in the fall.
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