It wouldn’t be overstating it to say the Florida Department of Transportation’s Diverging Diamond Interchange project in Fort Myers is one of the most significant road construction projects in Lee County history.
The four-phase project, which started in January of 2021 and will end up costing $52.7 million, is winding down − good news for motorists who have had to navigate alternate routes and endure various delays to the traffic flow.
The mission of the project: alleviate the cluster of congestion along almost 5,000 feet of Colonial Boulevard between Six Mile Cypress Parkway and Forum Boulevard. Or, to put it another way − fix the long-congested traffic quagmire that sees about 90,000 vehicles per day passing east, west, under or over Colonial and I-75.
More: FDOT to hold public workshops for Collier County’s first diverging diamond interchange
The New-Press reached out to FDOT to get a project update, and more importantly, find out how close is it to crossing the finish line. This is what the spokesperson told us:
Question: What phase is the project in and when will it be completed?
Answer: Final phases. We are anticipating opening the Diverging Diamond Interchange mid/late Summer 2024; and, the Continuous Flow Intersection at Colonial Boulevard at Six Mile Cypress and the Redirected Center U-Turn at Colonial Boulevard at Forum Boulevard both opening in mid/late Fall 2024.
What parts of the project have been completed this year (since Jan. 1)
Keep in mind that there are several separate tasks being completed which will all come together upon placing the intersection in final configurations.
What is next to do this year?
We are anticipating opening the Diverging Diamond Interchange mid/late Summer 2024. When we schedule the opening date, crews will have to close the entire interchange and Colonial Boulevard within the interchange area from Saturday night through Sunday noon to allow crews to implement the final lane shifting and associated lane striping and signal head shifts.
More: A diverging diamond interchange is coming to Collier County. Reaction? Constructive, comical
Any information motorists need to know about traffic flow between now and when the project is finished?
Motorists should expect lane shifts as we get near the openings of the intersection as crews prepare for the final configurations.
Is there a date for the official end of the project?
Early 2025.
Any other messaging FDOT would like to share about the project?
Motorists should expect delays through the construction zone and should obey the posted speed limit. We appreciate the community’s patience while we construct this crucial transportation improvement.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: When will the Fort Myers diverging diamond interchange project end
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