The city of Cape Coral council approved a support request on Wednesday that could help bring an interchange to I-75 at Slater Road in North Fort Myers.
Council members approved resolution 406-24, requesting support from local counties to prioritize state and federal funding for the I-75 interchange at Slater Road, which could reduce evacuation times by 30%.
Cape Coral and North Fort Myers residents think having a closer entrance to the highway could be helpful.
“If it makes it easier for people to get out, then you need to get out,” Douglas Mann said. “I'm all for it.”
But changes could be coming.
“Council approved a resolution that will allow the city to request support from Lee and Charlotte counties, that would designate the I-75 interchange as a legislative priority,” Cape Coral spokesperson Lauren Kurkimilis said.
For more than a decade, there has been talk of building a new interchange here along Slater Road.
“It is a priority for the city of Cape Coral to improve access to Cape Coral as best as possible, including emergency response times,” Kurkimilis said.
A recent study estimates it will save hours for you to evacuate before a hurricane.
“You see the high rises and things they're building around, they're cramming people in, and they got they got it got out of here,” North Fort Myers resident Richard Darrow said. “And when a hurricane comes, it's bad.”
We decided to test out the proposed route ourselves. Right now, you come to a dead end on Slater Road. But the new connector would bring you over the overpass and then onto I-75. Right now, only farmland stood between us and the highway.
“It sounds like it's going to go through a lot of red tape before it gets done,” Mann said.
It will be, but the city is ready to push the project forward.
“Now the city of Cape Coral is authorized to approach Lee and Charlotte counties and make this request of them,” Kurkimilis said.
We reached out to Lee County. They said that once they get the request from the city, they will bring it forward to the county commissioners for consideration.
We have also reached out to the Florida Department of Transportation but have not heard back about this interchange plan.