Traffic Week: 9 significant Lee County road projects underway or starting in 2024
Note to readers: The News-Press and Naples Daily News are producing a series of stories about traffic in Southwest Florida. We are calling our special coverage "Traffic Week" and today we are breaking down the most significant road projects for Lee County in 2024.
Lee County's nine significant DOT projects in design or construction phase for 2024
Note: This list does not include Florida Department of Transportation projects like the I-75/Colonial Diverging Diamond and the Sanibel Causeway.
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ALICO ROAD CONNECTOR TO SR 82
Project is 3 phases
Phase I: Widen Alico Road from Airport Haul Road to Green Meadow Road to four lanes. Phase II: Build a new four-lane arterial roadway connecting Alico Road to SR 82 at the Sunshine Boulevard intersection including a continuous flow intersection at SR 82Phase III: Widen Sunshine Boulevard from SR 82 to 23rd St SW to four lanes
Phase I expected to begin construction in Fiscal Year (FY) 2024/25
Phase II and III expected to begin construction in FY 2025/26
CAPE CORAL BRIDGE REPLACEMENT
Project will replace both spans of the Cape Coral Bridge and construct new bridges with six travel lanes (three in each direction)
Includes shared use paths on both sides of the roadway. Widens Cape Coral Parkway to six lanes from the river to Del Prado Boulevard. Intersection improvements at Del Prado Boulevard/Cape Coral Parkway intersection. Intersection improvements at College Parkway/McGregor Boulevard intersection
Expected to begin construction in FY 2026/27
HICKORY BOULEVARD BRIDGE REPLACEMENTS
Project will replace three bridges along Hickory Boulevard that are nearing the end of their useful life
Little Carlos Pass BridgeNew Pass BridgeBig Hickory Pass Bridge
Project will incorporate future shared use paths on the new bridges
Expected to begin preliminary design in FY 2023/24
THREE OAKS PARKWAY NORTH
Project extends Three Oaks Parkway from its current terminus at the Fiddlesticks Canal to the north tying into Daniels Parkway at its current intersection with Fiddlesticks Boulevard/Palomino Lane
Construction is underway on the canal crossing and first phase of Three Oaks from the canal to Indian Pony RoadDesign from Indian Pony north to Daniels Parkway is ongoing with construction set to begin in FY 2025/26
Project includes widening Daniels Parkway to eight-lanes from Apaloosa Lane to Danport Boulevard
Design is ongoing with construction set to begin in FY 2025/26
BIG CARLOS PASS BRIDGE
Replace the Big Carlos Pass Drawbridge with a fixed span bridge
Construction underway with completion scheduled for FY 2025/26
CORKSCREW ROAD
Phase I widens Corkscrew Road from Ben Hill Griffin Parkway to Bella Terra Boulevard
Six-lanes from Ben Hill Griffin Parkway to Firehouse LaneFour lanes from Firehouse Lane to Bella Terra BoulevardConstruction to be completed in early 2024
Phase II widens Corkscrew Road to four-lanes from Bella Terra Boulevard to Alico Road
Construction contract awarded end of 2023 and expected to be completed in FY 2025/26
Includes a new traffic signal at Corkscrew Road/Alico Road intersection
BURNT STORE ROAD
Originally a three-phase project to widen Burnt Store Road from Pine Island Road to the Charlotte County Line Project widens the two-lane Burnt Store Road to a four-lane divided limited access super street. Phases I and II were recently completed from Pine Island Road to Van Buren Street. Preliminary Engineering is underway for Phase III from Van Buren Street to the Charlotte County Line by FDOT with 60% roadway design completion scheduled this year
County and FDOT will be seeking grant opportunities to advance construction, but currently the County does not have a timeline for construction
LITTLETON ROAD FROM CORBETT TO US 41
Widens the existing two-lane Littleton Road to a three-lane roadway with a center left turn laneProject includes bike lanes and sidewalks on both sides of the roadway
Construction beginning early 2024 and scheduled to be completed in FY 2024/25
ORTIZ AVENEUE FROM SR 82 TO COLONIAL BOULEVARD
Widens Ortiz Avenue from two to four-lanes. Project includes a 10-foot shared use path on the west side, a 6-foot sidewalk on the east side, and 7-foot buffered bike lanes on both sides. Bids were opened in December, and contract award is anticipated in early 2024
Construction to be completed in FY 2025/26
Additional Lee County road projects of note
MIDPOINT BRIDGE WIDENING
Project is planned to add an additional travel lane in each direction on the Midpoint Bridge. Project will add shared use pathways in each direction. Includes a left turn flyover from Summerlin Road to westbound Colonial Boulevard
Project will not move forward until the Cape Coral Bridge project is completed, so there is not a firm timeline yet
SUNSHINE BOULEVARD EXTENSION
Project would connect Sunshine Boulevard from its northern terminus to Palm Beach Boulevard (SR 80)Project was recently added to the Metropolitan Planning Organization’s (MPO) Long-Range Transportation Plan in 2023, so there has not been a scheduled set to date
Would add an additional connection from Lehigh Acres to the north and provide relief to Buckingham Road and Joel Boulevard
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: lee county florida road projects include cape coral bridge replacement