Changes coming to intersection of Burnt Store Rd, Tropicana Pkwy

In 2022, the Lee County Department of Transportation says there were 25 crashes at the intersection of Burnt Store Road and Tropicana Parkway in northwest Cape Coral, so changes are underway to make it safer.

Neighbors near that intersection say it’s normal to see people blowing through stop signs. Driver after driver can be seen performing, at most, rolling stops at Burnt Store Road and Tropicana Parkway.

“Nobody gives anybody a break,” said neighbor Michael Powers. “It just… yeah, it’s crazy. And especially with the work going on up further by Pine Island Road, it’s really hard to get in and out of here.”

On Tuesday, one driver was in a collision so brutal the impact flipped over his entire truck.

“It’s constant, every day,” said neighbor Suzie Freeman. “When I walk out here, watching the number of cars that aren’t paying attention, it just… they don’t care about stop signs; they just keep going.”

Effective immediately, drivers won’t be able to do that anymore: FDOT crews installed barricades to close the median between the north and southbound lanes of Burnt Store Road.

“We were wondering if they were ever going to do anything with that, you know, with all the traffic and all the actions we’ve seen there,” Powers said.

The changes will come in two phases. Phase one, preventing drivers from making any left turns, has already gone into effect. The county and neighbors believe this will reduce the number of crashes the busy intersection typically sees.