Florida restores 55,000 acres after removing 260 miles of roads

A major restoration project in Southwest Florida has been completed after years of work to bring the natural flow of water back to 55,000 acres of wetlands.According to officials, the Picayune Strand Restoration Project covers area between Alligator Alley and Tamiami Trail in Southwest Florida. It is part of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) which aims at restoring the Everglades ecosystem.The history of the site goes back to the early 1960s, when the land was drained in anticipation of what was intended to become the largest residential subdivision in the world.The drainage changed the natural flow of water across the area. The Picayune Strand project was designed to reverse those changes by removing roads, blocking canals and restoring water movement through the wetlands.The restoration involved major changes to the land and its water network.