To many local residents and visitors, the construction on Estero Boulevard seemed like it was never going to end. That very complicated project began back in 2015. We now know exactly when it will conclude.
According to Lee County, the final touches on the project, which include paving the beach side southbound lane of Estero Boulevard, will be December 20th to the 23rd. And, the final lift and final pavement markings are scheduled to be completed in early 2022.
Lee County Commissioner Ray Sandelli tells Beach Talk Radio News, “As we near the completion of this key Lee County road project, we want to thank the Fort Myers Beach community for their co-operation and patience. We are already seeing everyone enjoying the many upgrades and safety applications on this multi-use pathway.”
There were two major components of what is called the reFRESH Fort Myers Beach project, which is why the project was complicated and took so long. There was a lot of coordination that needed to be done with a number of different agencies.
The reFRESH Estero Boulevard Project was funded by Lee County and included any utility and streetscape improvements on Estero Boulevard.
Included with the utility updates, Florida Power & Light improved the reliability and relocation of utility poles and overhead power lines to the edge of the right-of-way.
At the same time, and with careful coordination, the Town of Fort Myers Beach was replacing waterlines on Estero Boulevard. Lee County installed storm drainage on Estero Boulevard. The Town installed or madeg storm drainage improvements on side streets where they installed water mains.
The total cost to Lee County to replace Estero Boulevard was over $80 million.
The next major project for Lee County on Fort Myers Beach will be replacing the Big Carlos Pass Bridge. That project is expected to begin in the 3rd quarter of 2022 and take three years to complete. The cost to replace the bridge is estimated at $60 million, including $25 million from the Florida Department of Transportation.
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