Lee County mulls new link between U.S. 41, Business 41

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NORTH FORT MYERS, Fla. Lee County commissioners are considering the construction of a new road linking U.S. 41 and Business 41 close to the Caloosahatchee River.

The idea surfaced Tuesday during a commission workshop to discuss ways of making North Fort Myers more of a destination. The street currently nearest the river that connects U.S. 41 and Business 41 is Pondella Road.

“Right now it’s kind of clunky,” commissioner Brian Hamman said. “You get to the stoplight at Hancock [Bridge Parkway] and [U.S.] 41. You gotta wait at that light, make a left turn, right on Pondella.”

Hancock Bridge Parkway, which runs eastward from Cape Coral into North Fort Myers, ends at U.S. 41. Across U.S. 41 from the end of the parkway is Hancock Bridge Square, an aging shopping center with numerous vacancies.

“If you look at North Fort Myers, where people live is disconnected from where businesses are,” Hamman said. “The key is making a good connection between where the neighborhood is and existing business that are there.”

Commissioners also want to implement a water shuttle connecting North Fort Myers and downtown Fort Myers to help local businesses and ensure safer travel across the Caloosahatchee River.

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