Lee County approves rumble strips for Burnt Store Road safety

CAPE CORAL, Fla. —

Lee County commissioners approved a project to install rumble strips on Burnt Store Road in Cape Coral to enhance safety after years of deadly crashes.

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Tom Danklefsen, a Cape Coral resident, says he's happy to see any safety improvements, "Burnt store. It's a racetrack, and there's too many accidents and too many deaths."

Residents in Cape Coral have been pleading for new safety measures on Burnt Store Road, and county leaders proposed adding rumble strips to the center and edges of the road from Van Buren Parkway to the county line at Vincent Avenue. These strips are designed to alert drivers when they drift out of their lane by creating a noticeable vibration.

County officials reviewed four different safety options and chose this one, citing its cost-effectiveness at $140,000. They consider it a temporary solution before starting a larger project to widen this section of Burnt Store Road into a four-lane road.

Danklefsen noted the positive impact of increased safety measurements, saying, "They've been increasing the patrols and pulling people over. And I think that's starting to get the message across."

County leaders will now move forward with a contractor and finalize the price to begin the project.

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