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8/11/2023
The Seminole Gulf Railway (SGLR) main line in Florida, which runs from Arcadia to north Naples, was devastated by Hurricane Ian 10 months ago. The bridge over the Peace River was destroyed and the tracks over the Caloosahatchee were blown from the pilings.
But, according to an NBC2 story, there’s been significant progress and repairs are expected to be completed by the end of the year. The bridge over the Peace River was rebuilt earlier this year, which allows trains to get to North Fort Myers.
The repairs have been the most difficult over the Caloosahatchee River, according to the NBC2 story. The railway has had to hire divers to help fix the equipment there.
The final cost for the repairs is expected to be about $15 million and has been paid with the railway’s funds or through financing.
After the October storm, SGLR Executive Vice President Robert Fay compared Hurricane Ian’s power and destruction to that of Hurricane Katrina, a Category 5 storm that damaged New Orleans and other areas in 2005. SGLR dealt with some track washouts in 2004 after Hurricane Charley pummeled southern Florida, but the aftermath was nothing like Hurricane Ian, Fay said.
For more information on what the railroad faced after last year's hurricane, read this October 2022 article in RailPrime.