Due to a beach renourishment project designed to strengthen and protect the shoreline between Blind Pass and Bowman's Beach Park, the Blind Pass Beach parking lot will be closed for staging equipment beginning tonight (Friday evening, November 21).
The project will place about 300,000 cubic yards of new sand along the northern stretch of Sanibel, from near the former Mad Hatter Restaurant to the western edge of Bowman’s Beach Park.
The sand will be collected by a hopper dredge from a state-approved offshore sand source located about 8.3 nautical miles west of Captiva Island.
The project will strengthen the areas that need it most—specifically around:
- the former Castaways location
- the Sanibel-Captiva seawall
- the Clam Bayou breach area
These areas experienced the most significant erosion and will receive additional sand to improve storm protection and beach stability.
Sand will be placed both on the dry beach and underwater to rebuild a healthy shoreline. The restored beach and dune system will reach a height of approximately 6.5 feet (NAVD).
Once the new sand is in place, crews will install native dune vegetation to stabilize the dunes and support wildlife.
The work is expected to begin Monday of Thanksgiving week (November 24).
Operations will be conducted 24 hours a day/7 days a week until done -- standard practice for dredging projects to shorten construction time and minimize disruptions.
Completion is expected by the end of December 2025, barring weather or equipment delays.
The City has finalized an agreement to use the former Castaways property on Sanibel Captiva Road as the main staging area for the beach renourishment project, as well as the Blind Pass Beach Park parking lot. The City will provide an update when Blind Pass Beach Parking lot reopens. The Turner Beach parking lot reopened on October 30, 2025.
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