CAPE CORAL, Fla. — Cape Coral city council will talk on Wednesday about whether to repair or demolish the Sands Boulevard bridge in southwest Cape Coral, which has been damaged since 2022.
The decision comes with significant cost implications: $1.7 million to repair the bridge, $1.5 million to remove it, or $3.3 million for a complete replacement.
Homeowners in the area are expressing concerns about safety and traffic if the bridge is removed to Fox 4's Bella Line:
Tim Gaines, a local homeowner, believes the bridge is essential for the neighborhood.
"It's a valuable asset for this area. It would make a huge traffic problem if we didn't have the bridge," Gaines said.
Some neighbors pointed to Cape Coral's $1 billion budget approved last July, which included funding for "transformative infrastructure investments," suggesting the bridge repair should qualify.
Charles Giglia, another homeowner in the area, expressed the community's preference.
"The neighbors here, most of them that I know, prefer to have the bridge repaired and kept, as is, keep your traffic pattern the same," Giglia said.
While the city reports that both fire and police departments claim removing the bridge wouldn't affect emergency response times, residents worry about flooding issues on El Dorado Parkway, which would become their only access road if the bridge is removed.
Simon Monteleone, Rising Voices Collective Lee County and neighbor of the bridge, highlighted these concerns.
"El Dorado floods constantly. If you just take really heavy rains, you can get something close to a tropical storm, to a little bit less than a tropical storm, El Dorado is flooding," Monteleone said.
Residents fear being cut off during emergencies with only one access point.
"Nobody wants to be stuck in here if they can't get out and only having one access is just impossible," Gaines said.
The Cape Coral City Council will discuss the bridge's future during Wednesday's Committee of the Whole meeting.
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