Pine Island sidewalk repairs along Stringfellow Road to begin after Hurricane Ian damage

The sidewalk along Stringfellow Road on Pine Island, damaged by Hurricane Ian, will undergo repairs starting next week, funded by $1.8 million in federal grant money.

Nearly four years after the hurricane, Pine Island's longest sidewalk will finally be fixed.

Residents like David Conner remember the damage vividly.

"It looked like an earthquake," Conner said.

Conner shared his relief that repairs are about to begin.

"A lot of people use it to walk, walk their dogs. Cyclists use it, and it's a little beat up in areas," he said.

Lee County's Department of Transportation is using $1.8 million in federal grant money to fund the project, which will cover extensive repairs.

"It's still about 19,000 linear feet of sidewalk that will be repaired," said Jillian Scholler, Lee County DOT deputy director.

To put it into perspective, that's roughly the length of 53 football fields. Scholler highlighted the importance of utilizing grant funding for such projects.

"Any opportunity we can (use) to save taxpayer monies, we like to, you know, be able to utilize those grants and any grant funding that we can get," Scholler said.

Residents view the repairs as a significant step forward for Pine Island.

"It's a really important part of Lee County," Conner said.

While waiting for the repairs to be completed, Conner said he and his neighbors will continue to support one another.

"We take care of each other," he said.

County officials expect the project to be completed by the end of this year as they monitor the current hurricane season.