Superior-de Moya Joint Venture Earns Major Recognition for Sanibel Causeway Reconstruction Project
SANIBEL, Fla. (October 2, 2025) — The Superior-de Moya Joint Venture team has earned major recognition for the Sanibel Causeway Reconstruction Project, winning the 2025 ENR Southeast Best Regional Project Award in the Highway/Bridge category and advancing as a finalist for the ENR Southeast 2025 Project of the Year. The project also received dual recognition from the Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA), earning both the 2025 National Project/Team Merit Award and the DBIA Florida Region 2025 Project of the Year Award in the Transportation-Roadway category.
The $328 million restoration effort reestablished and fortified the critical three-mile lifeline between Sanibel Island and mainland Florida that was devastated by Hurricane Ian in September 2022.
“What makes this project special is that we’ve given this community infrastructure they can rely on through whatever comes next,” said Area Manager Toby Mazzoni. “We live and work in these communities, so we build for the long haul, especially when our neighbors are counting on us most.”
Recognition from Industry’s Premier Organizations
ENR (Engineering News-Record) has covered major infrastructure projects for more than a century. Its annual awards program is among the construction industry’s most established recognition programs. The Design-Build Institute of America serves as the primary professional association for the design-build delivery method, providing education and standards that have shaped how the industry approaches integrated project delivery.
Engineering Excellence Under Pressure
When Hurricane Ian destroyed sections of the causeway in 2022, access to Sanibel and Captiva Islands was severed. Superior Construction and The de Moya Group quickly joined forces — their emergency team restored temporary access in just 15 days, enabling first responders to reach the islands.
The project marked the Florida Department of Transportation’s first phased design-build contract, which allowed the joint venture team to carry out emergency and permanent repairs while the design was still in development. Despite the challenging circumstances, including three hurricanes striking the site in 2024, the team completed the project two years ahead of schedule.
Built for Resilience
The rebuilt causeway features dramatically enhanced storm resilience, including steel sheet pile wall systems with nearly 750,000 square feet of coverage and concrete caps totaling approximately 19,750 linear feet. The project also incorporated 127,996 tons of strategically placed armor stone and elevated seawalls with advanced stormwater drainage systems.
The causeway’s completion has restored this vital connection for residents, emergency services and the tourism-dependent economy, enabling the community to move past Hurricane Ian’s devastation while preparing for future storms.