Lee County approves $5.7 million safety improvements for deadly Burnt Store Road

CAPE CORAL, Fla. — Lee County commissioners have approved new safety measures for a dangerous stretch of Burnt Store Road after several deadly crashes.

Fox 4's Bella Line spoke with neighbors who drive the stretch every day about the improvements:

Commissioners instructed county staff to move forward with installing rumble strips, passing lanes and paved shoulders along the nearly six-mile stretch as a temporary solution while waiting for funding to widen the entire road.

"Anything will be better than what it is now," said Rolando Alvarez, a neighbor.

The rumble strips are raised grooves on the side and center of the road that alert drivers when they drift out of their lane. The county will also install two different mile-long passing lanes along the stretch and build four-foot-wide shoulders on the sides of the road.

"That's what I find when I drive the stretch is the speeds are so high and driver aggression is actually high in this area too, and because of that, you need more margin for error," said Lee County Commissioner Brian Hamman.

The changes will cost around $5.7 million and are considered quick fixes because the county ultimately wants to widen Burnt Store Road but doesn't currently have funding for that larger project.

Alvarez said he supports the commissioners' decision to move forward with the improvements.

"Spend our money where people are losing their lives," Alvarez said. "Me getting out of here, going to work every day is, it's a struggle just to get out of Caloosa."

However, not everyone is convinced the measures will be effective. Rusty Pannebakker said she doesn't think the improvements will deter reckless driving.

"I really think the rumble strips and things in initially aren't going to have any real effect. I think we need to put the money would be better spent paying our police officers more," Pannebakker said.

Pannebakker says she would like to see more of a law enforcement presence on the deadly stretch.

Line also spoke with the co-chair of the Burnt Store Corridor Coalition and she says she would like to see LED speed radar signs and traffic cameras.

"The Coalition believes that these two recommendations will increase road surveillance and improve traffic violation enforcement without being a burden on the already overtaxed human resources of local law enforcement agencies," said Dr Mary Ellen Kiss, Co-Chair of the Burnt Store Corridor Coalition.

Lee County says it will take about a year and a half to install these improvements.

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