PUNTA RASSA, Fla. —
Lee County approved a $991,000 contract to install concrete mats around the Punta Rassa boat ramp to protect it from storm damage and preserve it for future use.
Olga Lidia Montano Hernandez, a lifelong angler, shared her connection to the waters off Punta Rassa.
“Yeah, it’s wonderful because it takes a lot of worries off your mind. I don’t know; it gives me a sense of calm and peace,” Montano said in Spanish.
Boater Roy Gonas expressed similar feelings about the area, calling it “an extraordinary environment; a wonderful place to fish.”
Gonas also recalled the damage caused by Hurricane Ian.
“We couldn’t come to fish because of the devastation, and of course, we still see the remnants,” Gonas said.
Lee County commissioners have approved the installation of new concrete mats between the seawalls and the edge of the boat ramp area, funded by a community development grant. The mats are designed to protect the ramp and the nearby bridge leading to Sanibel from wave damage.
“It’s just an added layer of protection to the boat ramp to help benefit our boating public and also benefit, indirectly, the base of the bridge on the way to Sanibel,” said Rob Price, transportation director.
The county, aiming for spring 2027, says installation should be complete in time for the next hurricane season.
For Gonas, preserving the Punta Rassa boat ramp is vital.
“For people who are on top of each other busy working, it’s an escape,” Gonas said.
Montano emphasized the importance of investing in the area for future generations.
“I know that people will be able to come here with their families and their babies,” Montano said in Spanish.
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