LEE COUNTY, Fla. — As southwest Florida grows, traffic will naturally become even more congested. Now, Governor Ron DeSantis wants to give the Florida Department of Transportation $7 billion to help lighten the traffic.
Two projects in southwest Florida could benefit from this proposal. One would be I-75 from Corkscrew Road to Golden Gate Parkway. The second location will be the I-75 and Pine Ridge Road interchange.
"They're in the pipeline and shovel ready," said Florida Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nunez on Wednesday during a press conference in Fort Myers.
Some drivers say they want to see the project break ground as soon as possible, while they also express concern over other areas.
"Colonial, Daniels 41 in certain areas," Kathy Ragen said about other problem areas she encounters.
"I think the area around Daniels are the worst," said CJ Reed, a Fort Myers driver.
They both believe work can be done on I-75, where two projects are slated.
"I think with all the traffic and all the people coming here we definitely need more lanes to accommodate it," Ragen said.
"75 — if they could widen that too, I mean that would be absolutely great to help with the flow of everything," Reed explained.
FDOT Secretary Jared Perdue says they're listening to the community's concerns with these projects.
"Our community's made it clear that this is much needed," he said Wednesday.
In on project, a single lane going from Corkscrew Road all the way to Golden Gate Parkway will be over 20 miles. Even though it’s just a single lane, FDOT hopes that lane will ease congestion a little bit.
That project would get $578 million and be completed by 2027. The I-75 and Pine Ridge road interchange would widen and be done by 2024.
Money for the proposal will come from different places, Perdue said.
"The proposal leverages three billion form innovative financing tools, contracting methods and policy proposals with additional four billion dedicated from the total revenue surplus," he explained.
Either project is years down the line, but both with the same goal of making southwest Florida easier to get around.
"In the last two and a half years I would say I noticed a huge increase in the traffic," Ragen said.
To view all the projects in the proposal, click here.
