Cape Coral streetscape project confusing customers, drivers

Inside a barber shop off SE 47th Terrace in Cape Coral, we found Chris Aguis.

“My biggest complaint used to be finding a place to park because it was busy,” he said.

But now, he says the construction of a streetscape project is making it harder just to get his hair cut.

“Came down the back road, trying to come up around…detour detour detour,” Aguis said. “Finally got frustrated and just pulled up to a construction guy and said, ‘hey man, I’m trying to get to the hair cutting place’ and he says, ‘oh yeah, you can go through right here.'”

The latest leg of work on Cape Coral’s streetscape project shut down SE 47th Terrace at SE 8th Court Monday. But shops remain open.

“They wait until it’s the busiest time of the year to do the most difficult part of the work,” Aguis said.

Just feet away from the barber shop, Michael Taillefer doesn’t think the construction is so bad.

“If anything, it’s just another way for us to express and explain to customers coming in from out of the country or state how Cape Coral is continuing to grow, be with the times,” Taillefer said. “The fact that downtown is another step in the right direction, another reason to come to the Cape.”

But customers like Agius say the mess almost left him spending his money somewhere else.

“There were stop signs and detours and flashing lights and everything trying to get me to go other ways,” he said.

A spokeswoman with the streetscape project says they’ve coordinated with business owners to keep them up to date on the work. And construction is only going blocks at a time to limit the impact on shops.