Two main roadways on Pleasure Island from where fishermen park and toss their lines into Sabine Lake are now closed to the public and may not reopen until summer or fall 2009.

Hurricane Ik’e 12-plus foot surge moved through area waterways and pounded on the north and south levee roads, peeling away asphalt leaving some areas partly covered and others whittled down to the base layer.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is the entity responsible for repairs to the roadways on the island, while the city of Port Arthur is responsible for basic maintenance such as filling in potholes and cutting grass.

Richard Whitmire, resident engineer from the Port Arthur office, said the corps is waiting on supplimental funding for hurricane road repairs.

“The process has been started,” Whitmire said.

Several days after the storm struck the coast, the corps drove out and took note of the damage. Both the north and the south roads took a beating from the waves and storm surge, exposing the base of the roads. Chunks of asphalt, up to a foot tall, stand in the roadways and potholes add to the problem. Driving on the roads are hazardous, hence the reason for closing access to both sides.

Each road is about five to six miles in length. The north levee road dead ends into what was once a sailboat launch. The gently angled boat leads to shallow waters where families swim and wade fish in warmer weather.

The south levee road, with a spoil area to one side and the lake to the other side, connects back with the main roadway that leads to the Causeway Bridge.

Along with the road problems, the levee on the south side was worn down by the storm.

“The south end will need to be raised,” he said. “It will probably cost $15 to $16 million to repair both roads and the levees.”

The Corps of Engineers’ Port Arthur office is responsible for maintaining the waterways south to north from 19 miles offshore to Beaumont and east to west along the Intracoastal Waterway from the Louisiana border to High Island, he said.

While Sabine Lake is a sportsman’s destination and boating is common, there is also the draw to the people who don’t have the luxury of owning a boat. Miles of shoreline is available for fishing and crabbing, and on weekends and during the summer families visit the island for recreational opportunities.

City leaders have not forgotten the importance of the island for recreation. Port Arthur City Manager Steve Fitzgibbons said fishermen use the island and the island itself if important for recreational opportunities.

The city submitted a request to the Council of Governments regarding its Ike repair needs. The total package is just more than $100 million, he said.

He broke down part of the request into bit-sized chunks: $8.5 million for road damage, $6 million for street repair on the island and $2.5 million for road repairs in hurricane-ravaged Sabine Pass.