FORT MYERS, Fla. -- A heads up for drivers in Fort Myers: a section of one of the city's busiest roads is now shut down.
Colonial Boulevard will be closed between Metro Parkway and Evans Avenue for the next two weeks while crews work on reconstructing the railroad crossing in that area. The Florida Department of Transportation says it's time to replace the crossing gates with new ones.
The detour will affect tens of thousands drivers, so you should take an alternate route.
“I would expect that there will be some delays and it could be substantial…we're talking 58,000 cars a day," says FDOT’s Zachary Burch.
The project is expected to be completed by June 23rd, but could take longer if the weather becomes an issue.
During the project, the following restrictions will be in place:
East of the rail crossing: Local traffic only will be permitted from Metro Parkway to the Lee County School Board/ O'Brien Auto Park driveways.
West of the rail crossing: Local traffic only will be permitted from Evans Avenue to the Federal Express/Super 8 and Park Positano driveways.
Alternate east-west routes include:
SR 82/Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, Edison Avenue, Hanson Street, Winkler Avenue, Daniels Parkway, and Six Mile Cypress Parkway.
Alternate north-south routes include:
I-75, Six Mile Cypress Parkway, Plantation Road/Veronica Shoemaker Boulevard, Metro Parkway, Evans Avenue, Fowler Street, US 41/S. Cleveland Avenue, Summerlin Road, and McGregor Boulevard.
