US-41 construction near Edison Bridge drags on, frustrating Fort Myers drivers

FORT MYERS, Fla. (WINK) — After more than a year of construction delays on U.S. 41 near the Edison Bridge, drivers and business owners say they're running out of patience.

The project was originally expected to take just weeks, but the Florida Department of Transportation now says it won't be finished until spring of 2026. WINK News has been closely following this project.

For drivers on U.S. 41, the orange barrels have become a familiar sight. For many people who live and work along the corridor, the frustration is growing.

"I'd love to have three lanes again, instead of one and a half," said Casey Harris, a piercer at Loyal 2 The Coil Tattoos.

Harris says the construction has impacted both where he works and his daily commute. "Business has slowed down quite a bit," Harris said. "We always have to go around the back way or come up and do a U-turn, which is even more ridiculous."

FDOT says the project faced several major challenges, including utilities, redesign work, weather, and unforeseen site conditions. After weeks of asking why a project originally expected to last just weeks has now stretched well over a year, FDOT is finally explaining what caused the repeated delays.

"The project experienced several significant challenges that contributed to extending the overall construction schedule," FDOT said. "Key factors included utility conflicts, maintenance of traffic constraints, redesign efforts required to address field conditions and left U-turn configurations, procurement lead times for materials, weather impacts, and unforeseen site conditions encountered during construction."

Harris says people have been waiting a long time for answers. "It's supposed to have been done in less than six months; it's been almost two years now," Harris said.

He's not the only one. "It should have been done a long time ago," said Kimberly Indyk, owner of Classic Concepts. 

Indyk owns a business in the area. She says the project's length has taken a toll.

"It's just way too long," Indyk said. "Things aren't working. The streetlights weren't working at night, and I think it's hurting the business. It's stopping potential customers from coming."

Despite the setbacks, FDOT says crews recently paved the northbound and southbound outside lanes, paved side streets, and installed new mast arms for upgraded traffic signals at Pondella Road. When pressed for a completion date, the agency says workers will finish paving and striping work this month.

Drivers and business owners say the goal is simple. "Just to get it done," Harris said. "To be complete."

"I hope it gets done soon," Indyk said.

FDOT says the project's expected completion date remains spring of 2026. When asked for clarification on the completion date, the agency says we are still in spring, as summer officially starts June 21, and that they are very close to wrapping up the project.