Sanibel Island causeway washed out by Ian reopens early

SANIBEL, Fla. (AP) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced the reopening of the causeway linking Sanibel Island to the mainland that was washed out by Hurricane Ian. The 3-mile causeway was badly damaged by the Category 4 hurricane, with initial predictions that repairs could take months. Instead, the span reopened on Wednesday, just three weeks after the storm blew ashore Sept. 28. Sanibel Island is home to about 6,300 people. The storm killed more than 100 people in Florida, many of them in Lee County, where Sanibel and its famed seashell beaches are a top tourist destination. One lifelong Sanibel resident, Troy Thompson, said having the causeway back will really help the barrier island because so much recovery work remains.