Crashes plague Fort Myers intersection, but solution elusive

FORT MYERS, Fla. The heavy volume of crashes at Winkler Avenue and Challenger Boulevard has nearby residents eager for a fix.

At least five crashes have taken place this year at the intersection, the Fort Myers Police Department said.

Stop signs are posted on either side of Challenger, but not on Winkler. Drivers often speed through the signs, residents said.

A stop light would cost approximately $500,000, but it might not fix the issue, transportation officials said.

The ideal solution would be to add a roundabout, but that could cost anywhere between $750,000 and $1,000,000 and wouldn’t happen for another five years, City Transportation Engineer Carl Karakos said.

Residents would like to see action taken sooner rather than later.

“It’s just a matter of time before somebody dies here,” resident Barry Smith said.

Transportation officials from both Lee County and Fort Myers will be discussing short-term solutions for the intersection next week.