Mariaregina Mendoza
•9/4/2026
LEHIGH ACRES, Fla. (WINK) — Drivers who travel on Lee Boulevard between Lehigh Acres and Fort Myers say the morning and afternoon rush can leave them sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic.
Some say the backups have become so frustrating that they avoid the road during rush hour.
WINK Traffic Anchor Mariaregina Mendoza spoke with people who make this drive every day and reached out to Lee County to find out what could be done.
Carlos Bryant described what the commute is like during the busiest times of the day.
“Totally bumper to bumper going to work in the morning and coming home, total chaos,” Bryant said.
In the morning, the backup builds westbound as drivers approach State Road 82 and continue onto Colonial Boulevard, with speeds dropping into the single digits.
Jennifer Kitley has watched the area grow during her 24 years in Lehigh Acres.
“When I do go out, it’s absolutely insane. Just the backup of traffic,” Kitley said.
Other drivers say they avoid Lee Boulevard during rush hour.
Althea Young says she takes Daniels Parkway instead, even when that route is already busy.
“I go on Daniels. I don’t go this way because it’s very congested,” Young said.
Daniels Parkway can get backed up too. Lee County leaders recently approved buying land off State Road 82, a key step toward a new connection between Sunshine Boulevard and the future Alico Road Extension.
That project is designed to create another east-west route and help take traffic off Daniels Parkway and Colonial Boulevard, eventually giving drivers another option.
In response to questions about Lee Boulevard and signal timing, Lee County said DOT staff monitor traffic throughout the county and make timing adjustments to help accommodate traffic shifts caused by incidents.
The county also said Lee Boulevard uses traffic-responsive signal timing. The timing plans used throughout the day are selected based on the traffic the road is experiencing.
