MATLACHA, Fla. -- Uneven walkways in Matlacha are causing concern for business owners, as they expect tens of thousands of people for weekend events.
President of the Matlacha Island Chamber of Commerce, Leoma Lovegrove, showed 4 in your corner dips on Pine Island Road's main walkway in Matlacha. The slim strip wears several cracks and inch-deep drop-offs. This concerns Lovegrove because of the influx of pedestrians the island sees during season. "We see about 500 people a day. Next weekend is the "Art in the Heart of Matlacha. We're expecting 30,000 people," she said. "How easy would it be for someone to just fall?"
Across the street, pavement is level. Several business owners tell us it's maintained that way by individual business owners even though it is Lee County's responsibility. "They use to come out and do some of these side walls," Lovegrove said. "I don't know what happened."
4 In Your Corner took photos of the street and sent them to the Lee County Department of Transportation, which maintains the road. They sent us the following statement:
"Lee County DOT is aware of the areas depicted in your photos. Crews have worked in that area within the past few weeks and are doing what they can without closing lanes of traffic in the midst of peak season."
The county has not provided a timeline as to when the repairs will be complete. 4 In Your Corner will monitor construction for updates.
