As the first week of May arrived amid the lovebugs, Fort Myers Beach i entered one of its busiest public construction periods since 2022’s Hurricane Ian, with multiple transportation and related projects either beginning new phases or continuing long‑term repair across the island.
From nighttime reconstruction at a key gateway intersection to ongoing improvements along Estero Boulevard and the evolving Big Carlos Pass Bridge replacement, residents and visitors will notice crews active in several high‑traffic areas at once now that snowbirds have flocked north.
“I think we can say we’re well on our way to rebuilding where we all live, work and play,” said Beach Mayor Dan Allers, who has been lobbying the Lee County Commission for help.
Some of the work will last days or weeks, while other projects are measured in months or even years, reflecting the layered and still‑unfolding nature of Fort Myers Beach’s recovery and modernization efforts in Southwest Florida while coordinating with Lee leaders.
Here’s what to know.
Mega spot by Times Square, the Lynn Hall Park site and the pier
Earlier this week, we let you know on one of the most visible Ian recovery projects about to move from planning to pavement: Monday’s start of the long‑awaited repair of the traffic signal at Old San Carlos and Estero boulevards Fort Myers Beach’s busiest and the most frustration‑inducing intersection at the Lee County town’s northern gateway.
That’s a mega spot by Times Square, the Lynn Hall Park site and the pier that’s slated to return after Ian’s fierce bashing.
Getting FMB ‘back to where we all want to live, work and play’
“This intersection is very, very vital ― that’s the artery of getting onto the beach,” Allers said. “This is the last key I think of a lot of the major projects that we have on the Beach to be able to help get back to where we all want to live, work and play.”
While the new signal project will not single‑handedly solve all of two-lane Estero Boulevard’s traffic woes dating deep back into the last century, county and town officials expect it to significantly improve safety, reliability and operational performance at an intersection with constant vehicle and pedestrian demand.
Entering new phase on south end of Lee County’s FM Beach
Another major Fort Myers Beach infrastructure project entering a new phase in early May is the long‑running Big Carlos bridge replacement, a transformative effort that has already reshaped how motorists, cyclists, pedestrians and boaters move between the south end of Estero Island and Lovers Key.
Beginning this week, crews are transitioning into a new phase of bridge work that includes overnight operations to place bridge joints on the newly constructed fixed-span bridge. During nighttime and early morning hours, from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m., motorists should expect flagging operations while workers perform this specialized work.
Reshaping traffic flow on Fort Myers Beach’s southern gateway
Reshaping traffic flow at the island’s southern gateway, the $91 million project by contractor Superior Construction replaces the aging moveable bridge over Big Carlos Pass with a modern fixed-span structure offering 60 feet of vertical navigation clearance.
Unlike the former drawbridge, which frequently halted traffic for marine openings and had become increasingly costly to maintain, the new bridge is designed to improve both roadway reliability and marine navigation while better withstanding storm impacts.
Safely improving access to Southwest Florida’s Lovers Key park
The new bridge has been constructed on the Gulf side of the existing bridge and carries one travel lane in each direction along Estero Boulevard. It also includes dedicated bicycle lanes, a six‑foot‑wide sidewalk along the north side of the roadway, and a 10‑foot‑wide shared‑use path on the south side.
A new parking area with direct access to Lovers Key State Park is included on the southeast side of the bridge, expanding recreational access while reducing roadside congestion near the park entrance, which sometimes resulted in tough turns off the highway.
Major milestone on track for summer finish in Fort Myers Beach
Vehicles have already been shifted onto the new fixed‑span bridge, marking a major milestone for an endeavor leaders say is on track for a summer completion.
LeeTran trolley stops on the east side of the bridge are now open for service, restoring transit opportunities for beachgoers and workers traveling between Fort Myers Beach and Lovers Key, even as pedestrian and bicyclist access, however, remains limited as construction moves forward.
Stabilizing roadway, managing stormwater after Hurricane Ian
Crews are performing concrete pours for curbs, pedestrian railings and sidewalks, with deliveries scheduled during periods that officials say support safe and successful pours and comply with permit requirements.
Earthwork and drainage improvements are also ongoing, part of the broader effort to stabilize the roadway and manage stormwater more effectively around the bridge approaches.
Utilities: We certainly want reliability when it comes to the toilet
On the west side of the new bridge, construction activity has prompted the closure of the east entrance to the Islands End community on the south side. Access to Islands End is being maintained through the west entrance while work continues. Motorists should also expect intermittent daytime lane closures with flagging operations as crews receive materials and perform utility and bridge‑related work.
The project includes the relocation of existing infrastructure for Lee County Utilities and Bonita Springs Utilities, coordination that has added complexity but is necessary to support long‑term service reliability in the area, county staff members said. And yeah, we certainly want reliability when it comes to the toilet.
In Fort Myers Beach water, transformation equally significant
On the water, the transformation is equally significant. Mariners are now using the navigational channel beneath the new bridge, but need to stay clear of construction equipment and the temporary trestle that remains in the water during demolition and finishing work.
A temporary clearance gauge is available to assist vessels transiting the pass. Fishing is prohibited from the Big Carlos bridge, both for safety reasons and to limit interference with ongoing construction.
Dismantling of old bridge in SW Florida’s Fort Myers Beach
Crews continue dismantling the old moveable bridge from the water, described as a careful and staged process that will eventually remove the structure entirely once the new bridge is fully complete and operational for all users.
Partly due to that, pedestrians need to use the sidewalk on the north side of the bridge while construction continues.
Another project starting Thursday affecting multiple locations
Pedestrians also are part of the equation in another series of Estero Boulevard projects set to begin in early May. That adds to the mix of construction activity residents and visitors will encounter as Fort Myers Beach heads into late spring and early summer.
Town officials outlined several targeted roadway, sidewalk and utility improvements that will take place between May 7 and May 30, affecting multiple locations along Estero Boulevard. Traffic impacts during this period are expected primarily between Donora Boulevard and Voorhis Street.
Improvements aimed at restoring, upgrading pedestrian access
In the 3000 block of Estero, crews are underway with sidewalk and driveway improvements aimed at restoring and upgrading pedestrian access. As part of that work, the northbound bike lane will be temporarily closed, and sidewalk detours will be in place. Work at this location is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Farther south, in the 4900 block of Estero Boulevard, fire hydrant installation is scheduled, with work hours from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Drivers should anticipate temporary traffic control measures and minor delays as the town updates its fire protection infrastructure.
‘Hurricane Repairs Project’ includes FMB roadway reconstruction
Town leaders said these May projects are separate from but concurrent with the broader “Hurricane Repairs Project” continuing in overlapping segments through several stretches of Estero and addressing damage and deficiencies left behind by Ian, along with vulnerabilities that were exposed.
That work encompasses roadway reconstruction, sidewalk repairs and replacement, drainage improvements, Americans with Disabilities Act upgrades and a suite of pedestrian safety enhancements. The aim includes better connecting residential neighborhoods, beach access points and commercial areas.
Layered nature of Fort Myers Beach’s post‑Hurricane Ian recovery
Together, the Hurricane Repairs Project and other improvements launched in May illustrate the layered nature of Fort Myers Beach’s post‑Ian recovery. reflecting both the scale of storm damage suffered in 2022 and the long path toward rebuilding a corridor that serves as the main artery.
Among the most recent ongoing Spring work in the broader project: Between Flamingo Street and Mound Road, crews have focused on repairing center drain brick pavers. From Estrellita Drive to Lenell Road, the teams are removing damaged sidewalk, curb and gutter infrastructure as part of the more extensive repair and replacement effort.
Completion of ‘Hurricane Repairs Project’ targeted fall 2027
This much larger, long‑term effort with county leadership largely started in March on the island’s south side by Estrellita Drive, with an overall completion target of fall 2027. It’ll mainly continue north to Crescent Street by Margaritaville, whose TPI Hospitality operators are planning their own adjacent 60-room project to build on the former Silver Sands land.
TPI, which has been refinancing various properties and working this year on a settlement in a federal suit accusing it of wrongly cutting employees out of Margaritaville profits, would like five stories. That would require backing from the Town Council, which is also slated this summer to consider other potentially rising structures, including up to a 15-story replacement on the old Outrigger motel land farther south by London Bay that’s been getting some pushback.
Writing In the Know for the USA TODAY Network, Columnist Phil Fernandez (pfernandez@gannett.com) grew up in Southwest Florida and has led Pulitzer Prize-winning efforts. Sign up for our free Breaking Ground growth and development newsletter. Subscribe to our News-Press and Naples Daily News apps.
This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: May brings another wave of new construction across Fort Myers Beach
Reporting by Phil Fernandez, Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News / Naples Daily News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
