LEE COUNTY, Fla. -- Plans for a new evacuation route in Southwest Florida's largest city has cleared the first of many hurdles.
Friday, the Metropolitan Planning Organization approved a special study. The study will be used to decided whether a proposed I-75 interchange is needed. It would add a new exit at mile marker 147, near the end of Del Prado Boulevard/Mellow Drive, which would lead straight to Cape Coral.
Supporters say it's a good idea in case of a hurricane, as it provides an easier way for some residents to evacuate.
Another idea brought to the table Friday: the idea of building a four-mile stretch of road that could connect Burnt Store Road to I-75.
The Florida Department of Transportation usually approves a new interchange if the two closest to the proposed one have failed. The evacuation route plan was added to the funding period that runs from the year 2021 through 2025.
