Lee County to hold Big Carlos Pass Bridge public meeting 5 p.m. Thursday

The Lee County Department of Transportation (DOT) invites the public to participate in a public hearing to learn about the Project Development and Environment (PD&E) Study to assess improvements to the Big Carlos Pass Bridge on Estero Boulevard (County Road 865).

The hearing will take place online and in-person:

Date: Thursday, Jan. 28
Time: 5 to 7 p.m., with a formal presentation at 6 p.m.
Location: Virtual on GoToWebinar. Register at BigCarlosBridgeProject.com or attend in Person at Bay Oaks Recreation Center, 2731 Oak St. Fort Myers Beach.

The Lee Board of County Commissioners approved the fixed-span bridge on the Gulf side of the existing bridge as the preferred build alternative to move forward in the PD&E Study. Lee County DOT will present the preferred build alternative and the no-build rehabilitation alternative at the public hearing. (Federal requirements include showing the no-build rehabilitation alternative at the hearing and throughout the remainder of the PD&E study.)

Project information and graphics showing the proposed improvements will be available for public viewing at two locations from Jan. 5 until Feb. 18, 2021.:

One location will be the Fort Myers Beach Public Library at 2755 Estero Blvd, Fort Myers Beach, Florida 33931. The library is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday; closed on Sunday. The model of the fixed span bridge is on display at the library.

The second location will be the Lee County DOT office located at 1500 Monroe St., third floor, Fort Myers, Florida 33901. Hours of operation are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Draft project documents are also available on the website, BigCarlosBridgeProject.com.

 

This public hearing was advertised consistent with federal and state requirements, Section 335.199, F.S., and developed in compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and related statutes. Lee County DOT solicits public participation without regard to race, color, national origin, age, sex, religion, disability, or family status.

In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, Lee County will not discriminate against qualified individuals with disabilities in its services, programs, or activities. To request an auxiliary aid or service for effective communication or a reasonable modification to participate, contact Joan LaGuardia at 239-533-2314, Florida Relay Service 711, or jlaguardia@leegov.com. Accommodation will be provided at no cost to the requestor. Requests should be made at least five business days in advance.

The environmental review, consultation and other actions required by applicable federal environmental laws for this project are being, or have been, carried-out by FDOT pursuant to 23 U.S.C. § 327 and a Memorandum of Understanding dated Dec. 14, 2016, and executed by FHWA and FDOT.