End of the shortcut? $6M plan could move traffic out of Buckingham neighborhoods

LEHIGH ACRES, Fla. (WINK) -  A new state funding request could revive a long-discussed plan to extend Sunshine Boulevard north to State Road 80.

Right now, Sunshine Boulevard ends at 75th Street. Drivers trying to reach SR-80 or I-75 often cut through residential neighborhoods in Buckingham to get there — something neighbors say adds congestion and frustration.

Derek Felder, who lives behind Williams Park, says he sees the traffic build up regularly.

“Right now, people come up Sunshine, and they cut through Buckingham. They take 50 nines up to Queens and Queens, over Cemetery Road and over to Orange River Boulevard, to get to… 80 and to I-75,” Felder said.

He says that can mean long waits at lights and intersections.

“You’re just stop and go… you’re sitting at a stop sign or a signal for… half hour, 45 minutes sometimes,” he said.

State Rep. Tiffany Esposito, a republican representing Lehigh Acres, says traffic is the top issue she hears from residents.

“I think the biggest burden that our Lehigh residents face… is really just traffic,” Esposito said.

Esposito says only about 3% of Lehigh is commercial, meaning many residents leave the community each day for work.

She has submitted a $6 million appropriations request on behalf of Lee County to complete a required planning and environmental study that must be completed before any design or construction can begin.

A similar $6 million request made it into the state budget last year but was vetoed by the governor.

“We tried last year for the same amount of money and it was vetoed by the governor,” Felder said. “Hopefully, this year we can get the appropriation and get the $6 million to get the study going.”

County workshop documents estimate the full construction cost to extend Sunshine from 75th Street to State Road 80 at about $112 million.

Even if the study is funded, major road projects take years to complete due to permitting requirements and coordination with state agencies.

The proposed Sunshine extension would be separate from other ongoing county projects, including efforts to extend Alico Road east and connect it to State Road 82.

WINK News has reached out to Lee County to ask how long the study would take if funded and is waiting to hear back.