The $328 million Sanibel Causeway restoration project has reached substantial completion, returning a 3-mile part of the critical connection from Sanibel Island to mainland Florida, according to a May 20 release from the project team.
The 12-mile causeway, which opened in 1963, spans the San Carlos Bay and consists of three two-lane bridge spans with artificial islands between them.
In September 2022, Hurricane Ian destroyed the causeway, cutting off Sanibel and Captiva Islands from the rest of the state of Florida and leaving residents stranded. Two portions of the ramp and a section of roadway that crossed an island in the middle of the causeway washed away in the storm.
An emergency response team from Superior Construction restored temporary access in 15 days — 12 days ahead of schedule — as a design to fix the bridge was still in development.
A joint venture of Jacksonville, Florida-based Superior and Miami-based de Moya Group has now restored the 3-mile section.
The project marks the Florida DOT’s first phased design-build contract. The Superior-de Moya team had to navigate complex logistics while maintaining two lanes open for traffic flow throughout construction, according to the release.
At peak construction, the JV coordinated multiple crews simultaneously: three for pile-driving, four for earthwork, two for storm drainage, six for rebar tying, eight for concrete placement and three for asphalt paving.
The rebuilt causeway features enhanced storm resilience, the release said. That includes:
- Steel sheet pile wall systems: Nearly 750,000 square feet, or 26.2 million pounds, including a king pile wall system, with lengths varying from 20 to 70 feet.
- Concrete caps: Approximately 19,750 linear feet total.
- 127,996 tons of strategically placed armor stone.
- Elevated seawalls from 5 feet to 8 feet.
- Advanced stormwater drainage systems throughout the causeway.
- 19,500 tons of asphalt pavement placed.
- Innovative scour prevention system utilizing 25,225 square yards of gabion marine mattress and 79,000 tons of coastal rip rap and bedding stone.
- 6,900 linear feet of various permanent roadway concrete barriers.
- 25,000 square feet of fractured fin concrete fascia.
During construction, those features faced stress. In 2024 Hurricanes Debby, Helene and Milton struck Florida. Completed sections withstood these storms intact, according to the release, though unfinished areas experienced washouts.
