FORT MYERS, Fla. — Heads up drivers! You may want to find another way around the Caloosahatchee River bridge for a few months. The Florida Department of Transportation is starting a major project, and will be closing one lane in each direction.
On Monday, April 8, FDOT says the bridge will go down to one lane going both south and northbound. This will happen until December 2024, before peak season starts.
The $25 million project will add an eight-foot sidewalk on the west side of the bridge going south.
"It’s just to provide a safe means for the pedestrians and bicyclist to cross the Caloosahatchee River bridge," said Janella Newsome, spokesperson for FDOT. "It's necessary, especially when we see just how much people are risking their lives to cross that bridge to get either to downtown Fort Myers or North Fort Myers."
From Sunday, April 7 to April 11, the bridge will shut down in both directions from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., as well as periodically throughout the project.
"The crews will actually be working to remove the overhead sign, replace the bridge deck and remove the existing walls," said Janella Newsome, spokesperson for FDOT.
That's during phase one. Newsome says phase 2 will focus on the actual installation of the sidewalk, which will connect to both downtown Fort Myers and North Fort Myers.
Electronic signs will be out to warn drivers are the closures and to help them find alternate routes.
From December 2024 to April 2025, the one-lane closures will happen from 7:30 p.m. to 7 a.m.
The project is expected to be done in Spring 2026.
