FORT MYERS, Fla. — You know all those big changes FDOT told us to expect on the Caloosahatchee Bridge Monday morning? Well, they didn't happen quite as advertised.
Over the weekend, Fox 4's Bella Line told you about some lane closures that were just hours away. FDOT says they are still coming, eventually.
Fox 4 reached out to FDOT to see what is going on. "Of course with any construction project, changes are inevitable," said Janella Newsome, Florida Department of Transportation spokesperson.
FDOT says starting Monday night, crews will start building a barrier wall first on the southbound lanes, and then the northbound side. That is when we will see these lane closures that may cause you to want to leave the house earlier or take a different route.
"There's always a lot of traffic like the bridge gets very jammed with two lanes," said Melissa Alvarez who lives 8 minutes from downtown Fort Myers. "But I think it's going to be worth it in the end."
FDOT says it needs to close those lanes to keep crews safe as they work to put in an 8-foot-wide pedestrian sidewalk along either side of the bridge.
"I think in the long run it will be nice, but short term it's gonna cause a lot of traffic problems," said Todd Short, who lives in downtown Fort Myers.
FDOT says the entire project is still on track to be completed by the spring of 2026.
Be sure to check in with Fox 4 Morning News Tuesday morning, to see how traffic is doing Tuesday morning.
