If you've driven over the Sanibel Causeway in the last three years, you've probably seen the construction crews working to restore the Causeway islands.
After a long wait, you could be back on the Causeway beaches by May.
"Hurricane Ian washed over all of these causeway islands, washing out a lot of the road. The majority of the road, the majority of the landings and several areas, it was breached. So, to stand here today is really nothing short of amazing," said John Lai, the president and CEO of Sanibel Captiva Chamber of Commerce.
You have to pass it to get onto the island. Construction on the causeway islands may seem slow-going, but now there's good news, the project is ahead of schedule.
Lai says the finish line is finally in sight.
"This we thought was going to open in 2027. Right now, the county's on target for May 1st for the opening of phase one, which would be opening this beach up to the public and all the other causeway island beaches as well," said Lai.
Pretty soon, you'll be able to pull off the causeway and park on the islands.
"There's about 800 parking spaces between the three islands. All of them will open up as free parking ... There'll be dedicated parking spots ... As opposed to what it was in the past, where it was kind of a free-for-all. It'll be a lot more organized once this reopens," said Lai.
Along with the islands reopening, Lai says there's even more to look forward to. The return of the Fourth of July fireworks show will light up the sky for the first time in three years.
People I talked to are excited to see the restoration taking shape.
"I think that would probably be good because once they announce the official reopening, a lot of people are probably going to be coming in, and they're going to have space for everyone," said visitor Hailey Vanmeerten.
The project aims to create a stronger and more resilient causeway to make sure we never have to deal with another collapse.
"Not only was this a beautification project, it was very restorative. It adds hardening to these islands as well. So that if we should face another storm, it won't face the same fate that it did during," said Lai.
Lee County leaders say the design phase for extras like bathrooms and other amenities should be done in about a year. It will then be presented to the board for approval before construction.
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