Port Charlotte road construction slated to last three years

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla.- It’s your money and almost $30 million of it is going to a road project in Port Charlotte.

The 2 mile stretch of Midway Boulevard between Kings Highway and Harbor Boulevard will be widened to four lanes. Neighbors mostly agree that the new lanes and sidewalks are needed but they’re outraged about how long the project will take.

It will take 36 months– three years for just over 2 miles of road.

“It’s crazy that it’s going to take three years. It’s such a short distance and there’s only the one little bridge, why does it have to take three years?” said Susan DiRico.

DiRico lives off of Midway Boulevard. She say traffic is already bad but can’t imagine what she’ll have to deal with once construction begins.

“Depending on which direction you’re going in, you can get out and then can’t get back in. With construction it’s going to make it totally impossible,” said DiRico.

The project, funded mostly by taxpayer dollars after a one cent sales tax increase back in 2008, will widen the road to four lanes, add new sidewalks, a closed drainage system, new crosswalks and add new lights at Beacon Drive.

The county tells WINK News the project will last that long because of the extensive drainage systems and underground piping.

Port Charlotte Middle School is right in the middle of the construction. School officials have a plan for a new road to be made through a soccer field for drop off and pick up.

Construction begins in a few months and will conclude in summer of 2018.