Lee county approves major road projects to improve traffic flow, safety

On Tuesday, the Lee Board of County Commissioners continued its commitment to improving the county’s transportation network with votes to approve multiple projects.

The board voted to award a low-bid, $2 million contract to Ajax Paving Industries of Florida, LLC, to improve and expand the intersection of Six Mile Cypress Parkway and Daniels Parkway. 

The project will repurpose a northbound left turn lane into an additional northbound through lane on Six Mile Cypress Parkway through the intersection with Daniels and extend the southbound left turn lanes from Six Mile onto Daniels eastbound. The project aims to create additional capacity to enhance the intersection’s operations.

The project also includes resurfacing, road markings, curbing, drainage, traffic signal work, sod and more.

The work is expected to begin in late March after the Minnesota Twins’ Spring Training activities are completed. It will include daytime and nighttime work, with required lane closures at various times.

The board also voted to award EHC, Inc. a low-bid, $39.7 million contract to construct the final phase of the Three Oaks Parkway Extension North project, which includes widening Daniels Parkway to eight lanes at the intersection with Three Oaks.

The project also includes widening Fiddlesticks Boulevard south of Daniels, resurfacing Three Oaks Parkway from Alico Road to Fiddlesticks Canal, and relocating the necessary water and sewers.

Construction on this project is estimated to begin in March and be completed in three years. The contractor must maintain six lanes of traffic on Daniels Parkway throughout the construction project, with only intermittent nighttime lane closures when necessary.

The Lee County board also voted to use the Design-Bid-Build approach to construct the planned Cape Coral Bridge replacement project. 

In April 2022, the Cape Coral Bridge Project Development and Environmental and Design Services contract was awarded to Kisinger Campo & Associates Corp. The contract included the expectation that once the project design reached 60%, the board would decide whether to opt for a Design-Build or a Design-Bid-Build delivery method.

The Cape Coral Bridge’s spans were built in 1963 and 1989. To increase capacity between Cape Coral and South Fort Myers, the project is to replace both two-lane bridges with two-lane, three-lane bridges.

The improvement will incorporate broader shoulders, lighting, and a shared use path on both spans to improve traffic flow and safety for all users of the roadway network.

Staff recommended the Design-Bid-Build method due to the size of the project, which was per guidance from the Florida Department of Transportation and the Florida Transportation Builders Association.

The Cape Coral Bridge project costs about $360 million, and construction will begin in late 2026.