5 Cape Coral intersections to get traffic lights

Five Cape Coral intersections are getting new traffic lights with the goal to help with congestion.

The city wants to add the traffic lights so that drivers get through busy intersections better.

The five intersections are Chiquita and Embers; Santa Barbara and Tropicana; Andalusia and Diplomat; Del Prado and de Navarra; Del Prado and Jacaranda.

Some people believe lights will create more stop and go bumper to bumper traffic, but the city’s public works department is convinced the changes will make navigating roads in Cape Coral much smoother and safer too.

De Navarra and Del Prado Blvd North is one of five intersections the city of Cape Coral says traffic signals are needed. With this maze of a whole lot of yellow traffic sticks guiding drivers now, people behind the wheel said that it is well warranted.

“Think it’s a good idea,” said Dan Owker, driver.

Owker was thrilled that there are plans to make changes to the roads.

Cape Coral’s interim Public Works Director is Perides Zambrano. She said the city determined that traffic controls must be done at the five Cape Coral intersections after they performed a signal warrant analysis.

“Drivers will have better guidance on how to behave throughout the intersection,” Zambrano said. “Sometimes, you have four way divided roadways meeting and with turn lanes it gets confusing sometimes at an all way stop situation.”

Some worry that drivers having to stop until the light turns green will create more problems with traffic.

Zambrano said what exists now doesn’t work and insisted that something had to be done.

He asked drivers be patient. The process could take up to a year or a year and a half. Work begins in August.