Second, Seaboard become two-way streets in Fort Myers Thursday

Big changes are going into effect on some major streets heading into and out of downtown Fort Myers.

As of Thursday morning, Second Street and Seaboard Street have turned into two-way roads.

Palm Beach Boulevard will transition from one-way to two-way next week.

The rest of the construction project on these streets is expected to last throughout the month of June.

The project is years in the making and has been slated for this transition for 14 years.

Richard Moulton, director of public works for the City of Fort Myers, says that, in addition to construction workers, there will be a strong police presence down Second and Seaboard streets to make sure people are driving in the right direction.

“There’s a safety element to it,” Moulton said. “There is increased mobility for pedestrians and bicyclists on there. There is a reduction in through-neighborhood traffic because people are not having to cut through to go in a different direction in the Dean Park and Avalon areas, and Gardner’s Park here, so it has those benefits to it.”

This is a three-step process, during which time Moulton says all hands are on deck to make sure people are safe and aware of the changes.

“We are very, very excited about this transition, we hope that the citizens experience all of the benefits that the transition will bring,” Moulton said. “And we’re going to have a strong presence of staff and police to make sure that is as smooth as it possibly can be.”

Moulton wouldn’t say if drivers pushed the city to make the change, so WINK News asked some of the drivers if they thought any changes needed to be made.

William Thomas of Fort Myers said, “I don’t think so.”

And Salvador Lozada of Fort Myers said, “Somebody’s going to crash. Somebody’s gonna crash.”