Drivers navigating the intersection of Six Mile Cypress Parkway and U.S. 41 will need to be patient for at least another decade before they see improvements to make their commutes easier.
Design for improvements will take place between 2031 and 2035, according to the county’s Metropolitan Planning Organization priority list that was approved last month.
Six Mile to the east of U.S. 41 is a state road; Gladiolus Drive to the west of U.S. 41 is a county road.
“The reason we’re doing this project is we’re trying to relieve congestion but not just to relieve existing congestion but to accommodate future demand and to enhance safety,” said Imran Ghani, consulting project manager for the Florida Department of Transportation.
The intersection is one of the busiest in Lee County. About 39,000 cars a day use Gladiolus west of U.S. 41. The number will increase to 52,500 by 2054, according to Florida Department Transportation numbers. The number of cars on U.S. 41 south of the Gladiolus intersection are 54,500 and will grow to 73,500 by 2054.The number of cars east of U.S. 41 on Six Mile is 54,000 daily and will increase to 73,000. The number of cars north of the Gladiolus intersection on U.S. 41 is 70,500 daily and will jump to 95,000 by 2054.MPO members received an update at their December meeting about the different options to improve the intersection. The intersection is considered a failing road, which means it’s near gridlock during peak times.
The current delay in the peak morning traffic is 136.1 seconds and 101.5 seconds in the peak p.m. hours.
If no improvements are made, by 2050 the delays would jump to 349.5 seconds during mornings and 331.8 seconds in the afternoons. The intersection would remain a failing road even if the state used the cheapest alternative, a third turn lane added in both directions, Ghani said.
“Each of those improvements do help, but they don’t make a significant improvement,” Ghani said. “So, based on that we shifted to a new approach, which was what can we do to redesign these intersections.”
The FDOT looked at three alternatives – using Old Gladiolus Drive as a bypass, an overpass over U.S. 41 and a crossover, like the one built at State Road 82 and Gunnery Road/Daniels Parkway.
The FDOT ruled out the overpass because it was too expensive. Purchasing the right of way and construction was an estimated $114.2 million.
The two other options remain on the table. The bypass would cost $88.6 million for right of way and construction and the crossover would cost $70 million for right of way and construction.
The bypass received the biggest pushback at a public meeting. Residents of Parkside Condominiums were concerned about the traffic the bypass would bring past their neighborhood off Old Gladiolus.
The timeline is to select an alternative by mid-summer, according to FDOT’s presentation. There is no money for design and construction in the five-year plan.
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