After hearing from the public earlier this year, the Florida Department of Transportation has notified the Fort Myers Beach town council that the alternating light at Prescott and Buttonwood that has been guiding traffic to the bridge leading to the beach will stay as is.
F.D.O.T. had originally planned to change the light to a standard traffic light when it re-configures the two lanes leading to the bridge as part of the foot-of-the-bridge project. Several council members and members of the public objected to the change stating it has saved lives and prevented road rage incidents as drivers merge to get onto the bridge.
The F.D.O.T. plan also calls for widening the road as drivers approach the bridge, which they believe will also help eliminate the jostling to get back into the one lane heading toward the bridge. And the wider two lanes leading to the bridge would connect with the two lanes on the bridge, which is also part of the F.D.O.T. plan.
According to the council F.D.O.T. is listening to public input on the entire project and other changes are being made to the plan that was presented to the public earlier this year. F.D.O.T. spokesman Adam Rose told Beach Talk Radio News yesterday that an updated plan will be presented to the council in a public meeting soon. F.D.O.T. officials met privately with individual council members over the past two weeks to give them an update.
If all goes according to plan, the $8 million project could start by the middle of 2023 and be completed by the end of 2024.