Concerns over lack of signs at Lee County intersection

Concerns over the safety of an intersection after Hurricane Ian destroyed the signs alerting drivers to a sharp curve.

Looking from Google Earth’s street view from 2022, the signs are visible at the intersection of Summerlin Road and McGregor Boulevard.

A viewer contacted WINK News and said she’d seen several accidents and believes it’s because the signs are no longer there.

The traffic signs are supposed to make sure drivers know the roadway veers to the left as they approach Summerlin Rd. But, ever since Ian, that sign along with about a dozen others have been down.

While some understand rebuilding takes time, others say traffic signs need to be prioritized to keep people safe.

There is progress with some traffic signs being replaced after Ian. But, driving around places like McGregor Blvd. and Summerlin Rd. the damage is still evident.

“You can see in the medians that the signs are still flat,” Paula Bauda, a visitor from Pennsylvania, said.

“There’s still quite a few signs that are down and I think it’s especially difficult for some of the older folks who are unfamiliar with the area,” Lee County residents, Kathy and Terry Potter said.

It’s important to note some of the roads managed by the state, like McGregor Blvd. others are managed by Lee County, like Summerlin Rd. and some neighbors are understanding that this is a slow process.

“This whole hurricane is… everything is slow. We’re still trying to get siding on part of our house. That’s been as six-month thing. Signs are probably the same way,” Terry said.

The county said they’re working with the Federal Highway Administration to get federal dollars to pay for sign replacement that way, Lee County taxpayers don’t have to foot the bill.

But, some said who pays isn’t as important as getting it done quickly to keep people safe.

“I think they should spend the kind of money they need to spend to protect those locals, those that are here on vacation because, really, honestly, vacation people are the heart-blood of what we do down here,” Lee County resident, Tom Arnold said.

There’s no timeframe as to when the remaining signs will be fixed. In the meantime, drivers said they’re a little more patient on the roadways.

“It’s become a challenge, I think. But we just try to drive more cautiously,” Kathy and Terry said.

We are expecting to get traffic incident data for this intersection next week that will point out if more crashes have been happening since the signs have been down.

Click here to report any traffic signs down in Lee County.