CAPE CORAL, Fla. — Cape Coral City Council members made it clear Wednesday they don't want to use city funds for the Burnt Store Road widening project.
Hear why one council members says the funding should be on the county:
Lee County Commissioner Brian Hamman previous told Fox 4 that the project could cost upwards of $190 million to expand the dangerous two-lane stretch of Burnt Store Road to 4 lanes.
Multiple council members said city dollars shouldn't fund what they consider a county responsibility.
"I've watched as the dollars that are collected are allocated to Alico Road, Corkscrew Road, all for business purposes and land development purposes when the Burnt Store Road issue is an evacuation and public safety issue," City Council Member Bill Steinke said.
However, some council members indicated willingness to partner with the county to accelerate the timeline for completing the safety improvements.
"Although we say yes, this is a county responsibility, I just I think it's worth looking at things differently in this situation and partnering somehow so that we can achieve the common goal of making this road safer and getting it done faster than 11 years from now," Jennifer Nelson-Lastra said.
The road has been the site of several deadly crashes, highlighting the urgent need for safety improvements.
At the last commissioner meeting, Hamman proposed a joint meeting with the City Council to determine next steps for moving the project forward and council members said they would like to meet with them.
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