Lee County spending $23 million on construction project along Ortiz Ave.

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$23-million construction project in Lee county

For a safer, quicker commute, Lee County is taking the first steps in what will be a $23 million overhaul of Ortiz Avenue in Fort Myers.

All that money will be spent on just a 2 mile stretch of road on Ortiz Ave. from Martin Luther King Boulevard to Colonial Blvd.

The project is considered a “tier one project” to the county because this road has major backups that slow down traffic, especially when you hit the intersection right at Colonial Blvd.

If you drive during lunch or peak hours, you will most likely get stuck in some kind of traffic, and that is why Lee County commission says this project makes sense.

Commissioner Brian Hamman stressed if there is a crash on I-75 and the interstate is jammed, you can hop off at MLK Blvd and use Ortiz Ave to get to the next on-ramp. But to do that the road needs to be more car friendly.

The widening project isn’t the only upgrade being made to that stretch of road, areas pedestrians use will get safety upgrades in the busy area.

The county will be finalizing the engineering company who will take over the design phase of the project at their meeting on Tuesday.

Following that, construction is slated to start in 2021 and 2022.

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