County, local and state officials celebrated with Matlacha residents Tuesday at a ribbon cutting ceremony Lee County Parks & Recreation’s restored Matlacha Community Center and the Pine Island Art Building as well as for the conclusion of the Florida Department of Transportation’s Little Pine Island Bridge Reconstruction project.
The ceremony at Matlacha Community Park featured brief remarks by the officials before the all lined up behind a red ribbon and sliced away.
Flooding and high winds from Hurricane Ian caused extensive damage to the Parks & Recreation buildings, the Little Pine Island Bridge and Pine Island Road.
Lee County completed the restoration of the Matlacha Community Center and the Pine Island Art Building through the FEMA Public Assistance process to ensure federal reimbursement – rather than local taxpayer dollars – covered repairs. The buildings reopened for community use in February. Matlacha Park, including the boat ramp, pier, pavilions and playground, has remained open since the storm and continues to be a valued recreational space for residents and visitors.
FDOT accomplished the full replacement of the Little Pine Island Bridge in three phases, bringing enhancements to drainage, utilities and safety. Additional benefits include reinforcing the bridge structure, improving its resilience against future weather conditions. Upon completion, the bridge was widened from 35 feet to 53 feet but maintained two 11-foot-wide lanes.
The ribbon-cutting celebration couldn’t be more appropriate for the Greater Pine Island-Matlacha area this year marks the 100-year anniversary of the creation of Matlacha.
According to the historic designation report for the Matlacha Historic District:
- The project to link Pine Island to the mainland via bridge was begun in 1926. The project foreman reported that fill was pumped out of Matlacha Pass to make the causeway and approaches to the new bridge.
- It is estimated that it took two miles of hydraulic dredge fill to build the causeway through Matlacha.
- However, on Sept. 17, 1926, a hurricane struck and wrecked the new wooden swing bridge across Matlacha Pass.
- The rebuilding of the Matlacha Bridge after the hurricane of 1926 was completed in 1927, when the wooden bridge between the mainland and Pine Island was completed.
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