A SECOND CHANCE: Lawmakers give Sunshine Boulevard road extension another try

LEHIGH ACRES, Fla. — A major road project in Lehigh Acres is getting a second chance as state lawmakers push for the second straight year to extend Sunshine Boulevard through the neighborhood.

The plan would extend Sunshine Boulevard from 75th Street to State Road 80, creating a four-lane connection that lawmakers say would help link some of Lehigh's major roads and reduce traffic congestion in the growing area.

"With the expansion and the extension, this will enhance traffic flow," said Moe Yasin, a Lehigh neighbor who supports the idea.

Click here to see Lehigh Acres Community Correspondent Victoria Quevedo speak with neighbors.

State lawmakers say as many as 800 drivers would benefit from the extension in the rapidly developing area.

However, not all neighbors are on board with the project. Lory Ortiz, another Lehigh neighbor, expressed concerns about the impact on the community.

"Honestly, I think that if they go through with something like this, it's only going to motivate those of us that live in this area, which are not very many of us, to likely look for somewhere else to live," Ortiz said.

Lawmakers want to spend $6 million to study the potential route and assess how it would impact the community. The funding made it into the state budget last year, but Governor Ron DeSantis removed it from the final version.

Yasin believes Lehigh Acres can't afford to wait much longer for infrastructure improvements like this extension.

"Lehigh has grown immeasurably. The population there, along with the infrastructure, the roads, there are not very many that can take people from one spot," Yasin said.

Ortiz raised concerns about the environmental impact of continued development in the area, particularly on local wildlife.

"If we continue to build on their declining habitat even further, we can only expect to see more instances where bears and panthers and coyotes," Ortiz said.

Even if the study funding makes it into this year's budget, the earliest construction would begin is summer 2028.

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