Reporter: Haley Jacobs
•8/2/2026
LEE COUNTY, Fla. — Drivers navigating construction around Three Oaks Parkway and Daniels Parkway will see another major traffic pattern change beginning Monday, Aug. 3.
The Lee County Department of Transportation says southbound traffic on Three Oaks Parkway will begin using the newly constructed southbound travel lanes, weather permitting.
The change is part of the ongoing Three Oaks Parkway Extension Project, which will eventually connect Three Oaks Parkway from Alico Road to Daniels Parkway while also widening a portion of Daniels Parkway
For drivers who regularly travel through the construction zone, the new lanes could bring some relief — but they will also come with new turning patterns and a road closure.
The biggest change will be for drivers traveling south on Three Oaks Parkway.
Southbound traffic will shift onto the inside lane of the new southbound Three Oaks Parkway lanes.
Drivers will also need to pay attention to changes around Cody Lee Road and the Publix shopping center near Fiddlesticks Boulevard.
At Cody Lee Road and the new southern Publix shopping center entrance, traffic will be limited to right-in and right-out movements.
Northbound Three Oaks Parkway traffic will remain in the current outside lane. Drivers heading north will be permitted to turn left into the new southern Publix entrance.
Old Fiddlesticks Boulevard will also close between the roundabout and the southern access to the Publix shopping center near Fiddlesticks Cafe. Lee County says the closure is necessary so crews can complete final construction on that section of roadway.
Phase 1 of the project will remain closed.
Another traffic shift is also planned farther north as crews prepare for improvements to Palomino Lane. Northbound traffic will shift west into the bi-directional left-turn lane north of Jobe Road/Kings Crossing.
For people who live, work and shop in the area, construction has already become part of everyday life.
Lisa Aschermann lives nearby and says she comes to the Publix shopping center almost every day. She also uses several of the other businesses in the plaza.
"The construction right now has been our life," Aschermann said.
She said navigating the area sometimes comes down to choosing when to make the trip.
"You kind of time it. You know, it's always about timing," Aschermann said.
Aschermann said she tries to avoid traveling during busy periods when people are heading to or from work. Despite the inconvenience, she believes the construction is progressing well and said seeing crews actively working is encouraging.
"They're ahead. It seems like it's better than going by a construction site where nobody's working. At least here you see a lot of people working, so that's always a good thing," Aschermann said.
She is also optimistic that the new configuration will eventually make it easier to get around the area.
"It's a beautiful new roundabout that they've put in. I think it's gonna help with the congestion," Aschermann said.
Joseph Dungan travels through the area frequently because his in-laws live nearby.
He described traffic around the construction as "pretty heavy" and said backups can make trips through the area take longer than he would like.
Dungan said the construction itself has also been frustrating at times.
"Honestly, it's a little invasive. It kind of gets in the way," Dungan said. "And especially what they're doing now, it's just a little annoying. But you know, it is what it is."
He hopes putting the new lanes into use will improve the situation for drivers.
"I feel like it's gonna help us, you know, stop being annoyed," Dungan said.
Monday's traffic changes are one piece of a much larger Lee County transportation project.
The Three Oaks Parkway Extension Project will extend Three Oaks Parkway north from Alico Road to Daniels Parkway.
The project also includes widening Daniels Parkway from six lanes to eight lanes between Danport Boulevard and Powers Court/Apaloosa Lane.
Lee County considers the project a Tier 1 priority for the Board of County Commissioners as the county works to expand infrastructure alongside population growth.
Construction is currently running ahead of schedule, according to Lee County.
The overall project is expected to be completed in spring 2028.
Drivers in the Daniels Parkway area are also seeing construction around the Interstate 75 interchange, but that work is not part of the Three Oaks Parkway Extension Project.
The I-75/Daniels Parkway interchange work is a separate Florida Department of Transportation project.
That means drivers traveling through the area could encounter construction associated with two different transportation projects.
Lee County advises drivers to continue monitoring changing traffic patterns as work progresses.
The new Three Oaks Parkway traffic configuration is expected to take effect Monday, Aug. 3, weather permitting.
