Lee County commissioners have awarded a $991,300 contract to Fort Myers-based Earth Tech Enterprises Inc. to install articulating concrete mats along the Punta Rassa shoreline. The mats will run from just west of the Punta Rassa Boat Ramp, around the parking area, and to the southern side of the point, giving the bank a flexible barrier that diffuses wave energy, reduces erosion, and stabilizes the shoreline without disrupting natural water flow.
The project is funded through HUD Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery dollars awarded after Hurricane Ian made landfall on September 28, 2022. Construction is scheduled to begin in late 2026 and finish in spring 2027. Boaters should note the ramp itself will stay open throughout, though portions of the parking lot may close from time to time. The ramp only reopened in August 2025 after serving as a staging area for Sanibel Causeway repairs.
For a shoreline that sits right where locals launch boats and watch the sunset over the causeway, this is Ian recovery money doing long-term, visible work. The concrete mats won’t stop every storm, but they’ll give the bank a fighting chance the next time the Gulf gets angry. What shoreline around the Suncoast do you think should get this kind of protection next?
