LEE COUNTY, Fla. -- A very busy intersection in Lee County has gotten a complete makeover to improve traffic and safety. After months of work, the intersection on State Road 82 at Daniels Parkway and Gunnery Road fully opened Tuesday morning.
The Florida Department of Transportation says it is a Continuous Flow Intersection, the first one ever constructed in our state.
The main difference between a CFI and a typical intersection is how drivers will turn left from State Road 82 onto Gunnery Road or Daniels Parkway.
The CFI allows drivers to make a left hand turn before reaching the main intersection. “You need to get in that left turn lane about 1,300 feet before the intersection there will be signs for it and direct traffic so you need to get in that left turn lane well before,” said Zach Burch, Florida Department of Transportation.
FDOT says this will prevent back-ups and some accidents by eliminating the left turn signal at the main intersection. “It’s going to improve safety not only for drivers, but for pedestrians and cyclists,” said Burch.
This is all part of their plan to improve traffic flow on State Road 82 in Lee County.
During peak traffic hours, the busy intersection will average about 2,700 cars per hour. FDOT says a conventional intersection can’t handle that kind of volume so they came up with this alternative.
The project was expected to cost $55 million.
