Scaffolding added to Sanibel lighthouse

Reporter: Ashley French Writer: Elyssa Morataya
Published: Updated:

Sanibel citizens and visitors got a sneak peek of progress coming to Sanibel Island.

On Monday morning, construction workers put up new scaffolding on the Sanibel lighthouse.

According to Sanibel Island public information officer Eric Jackson, all the beach nourishment happening around the island is a sign of Sanibel’s resilience.

“Every single day you drive around this island, you see signs of recovery from new businesses that are opening to this monumental restoration of this lighthouse,” Jackson said.

Last month, the legs of the lighthouse were restored and strengthened after one of the cast-iron legs was damaged during Hurricane Ian.

“What you see happening right now is that their scaffolding is going up, so the workers can get up there and sandblast it first,” said Jackson, “assess the damage up close to see what’s going on, and once that’s all done, they’re going to put an exterior coating on the lighthouse.”

The lighthouse renovations have been added to the Sanibel Beach Renourishment Project.

“Even throughout the process of restoring the beach and restoring this lighthouse, people are enjoying it, and they’re getting to see this happen,” said Jackson. “This is really a historic thing that is taking place. The lighthouse has become a symbol of resilience.”

Construction is expected to take around two months to complete.

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