Design for the $300 million Cape Coral Bridge project chosen; construction to begin in 2026

The Board of Lee County Commissioners unanimously approved further analysis and consensus for the alternate 1 design for the Cape Coral Bridge Replacement Project.

The design for the bridge will go from four to six lanes, include drainage ponds under the bridge, remove the toll plaza and replace them with electronic tolls, and incorporate a pedestrian bridge.

Alternate 1 was chosen as it proved to be more cost-effective and didn't require the construction of an additional bridge structure.

The bridge replacement project is expected to cost an estimated $300 million, with construction set to begin in 2026.

Lee County DOT Deputy Director Rob Price presented the item to county commissioners at a meeting on Tuesday.

"The purpose of the project development and environment phase of this project is to address the aging Cape Coral Bridge while adding capacity to the roadway, improving traffic operations, adding multimodal facilities, and enhancing safety for roadway users," Price said.

The westbound span of the Cape Coral Bridge opened in 1964 and served as the only bridge to Cape Coral from Fort Myers for years. It was modified with an additional span built in 1989.

Motorists made nearly 50,000 annual average daily trips over the bridge in 2021.

Communication Director for Lee County Government Betsy Clayton said alternate 1 is the design moving forward, but modifications can still be made if necessary during the permitting process.

Two build alternates were presented by DOT at a previous workshop as well as a no-build alternative to the bridge design, all part of a Project Development & Environment (PD&E) Study.

Both the alternate 1 and alternate 2 designs would modify access to the Caloosa Yacht and Racquet Club, requiring a U-turn movement.

Alternate 1 places the U-turn near the Caloosahatchee River underneath the replaced bridge structure and was touted as the most cost-effective option.

Alternate 2 would have placed the U-turn closer to the Caloosa Yacht and Racquet Club entrance but required the construction of an additional bridge structure.

Money for the project will come from various revenue sources including surplus tolls, from the county and Cape Coral, road impact fees, and potentially from state and federal grants the county receives.

The county is also maintaining a no-build option that would include only the refurbishment of existing structures.

Maintaining a no-build option is a requirement of the PD&E Study.

The PD&E phase includes further opportunities for public input at a public hearing, and a vote will follow. The project development phase is anticipated to conclude in about a year.

Cape Coral Councilmember Tom Hayden said he's fully in support of the design that was approved by the county.

"The bridge is over 59 years old, it needed to be replaced," Hayden said. "I know it's been a lot of public input, a lot of discussion over the years to finally get to this point where we have a new plan and hopefully we can keep it on some sort of fast track to get it built."

Luis Zambrano is a Watchdog/Cape Coral reporter for The News-Press and the Naples Daily News. You can reach Luis at Lzambrano@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @Lz2official.

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Lee County commission chooses design for Cape Coral Bridge project