FORT MYERS, Fla. — The Caloosahatchee Bridge project is finishing up more than a year early. It has people looking to commute between Cape Coral and Fort Myers, breathing a sigh of relief.
FOX 4 Community Correspondent Dominga Murray ran into Kathy and Jim near Centennial Park who were excited for the bridge's walkability. Click below to hear more:
"As we were walking by I was like I hope it's open... but not yet," Kathy said
FOX 4 reached out to FDOT and they said it's happening soon. In fact, by early this new year.
"Construction crews worked a day and night shift continuously for 10 weeks which accelerated the completion of the project by 416 days. The 10-week full bridge closure marked the completion of phase I, which included replacing the bridge deck, installing a median barrier wall, and adding a guardrail on the northbound side."
"Over here there's much more to do," Jim said, comparing the location to the Edison Bridge.
One of those things is supporting local business downtown. Alex Tatko is the owner of Coastal Dayz Brewery.
"It's a better flow of traffic to 41 and Victoria [Avenue] will be easier to get through," he said.
As construction crews wrap up you may see occasional lane closures until early 2025.
"We are done with hurricanes, the bridge is open, just go out and support [local businesses downtown], they're struggling right now," Tatko said.
