Lee County Crane Work, Four Years Into the Ian Rebuild

Fall 2022: getting the islands reconnected

Ian's surge washed out sections of the Sanibel Causeway. FDOT's emergency repairs reopened it in 15 days, more than a week ahead of schedule. That pace came from cranes, barges, armor stone and a lot of people working long shifts, and it showed how much a coastal county depends on crews who can mobilize fast and lift safely under pressure.

2023 to 2025: permanent rebuilds

The permanent $328 million causeway restoration went to a Superior Construction and de Moya Group joint venture under FDOT's first phased design-build contract. It added nearly 750,000 square feet of steel sheet pile wall, about 128,000 tons of armor stone, raised seawalls and a scour-protection system, and reached substantial completion on May 30, 2025. During 2024 storms, unfinished stretches washed out while completed sections held.

On Fort Myers Beach, the 254-room Margaritaville Beach Resort, under construction when Ian hit, held its topping-off ceremony in January 2023. Pink Shell reopened that March while work continued, then won approval in February 2025 for a new six-story, 40-room hotel. The Lighthouse Resort is planned as a full rebuild with 130 rooms. Even so, a 2026 WINK News review found more than 41 percent of the island's hotel rooms still closed.

Now through 2027: RSW grows

Southwest Florida International Airport handled more than 11 million passengers in 2024. Suffolk is building Concourse E, a three-level, 513,000-square-foot addition with 14 gates, scheduled to open in late 2027 and paid for with grants, FDOT money and airline fees. A separate renovation of the existing terminal stalled over design and cost disputes. Airport work means structural steel, jet bridges and heavy mechanical units, often under FAA height limits and airfield escort rules.

What this means for operators and riggers

• Marine and causeway work needs riggers who understand sheet pile, armor stone handling and barge-mounted cranes: Rigger Level 2.
• Resort and condo rebuilds on the barrier islands rely on mobile crane operators who can set up on sand and in tight lots.
• FPL and contractor line crews restoring and hardening the grid use digger derricks: digger derrick operator.
• Every job above needs a qualified signal person when the operator's view is blocked.

Storm rules that stay with Lee County crews

Florida's 2025 hoisting-equipment law requires a written hurricane preparedness plan for cranes and hoists on construction sites and securing them at least 24 hours before hurricane impacts are expected. It is not a license, but it does mean operators and lift directors need to know the manufacturer's high-wind procedures before June 1 each year. Our requirements guide covers the details.