Lee County OKs funding for Estero Blvd. storm repairs 

Lee County commissioners on Feb. 3 approved a supplemental funding agreement with the Florida Department of Transportation to fully cover construction inspection services tied to long-delayed hurricane repairs along Estero Boulevard on Fort Myers Beach.

Lee Board of County Commissioners voted to accept additional state funding that will bring total support for construction engineering inspection services to about $1.4 million. The agreement fills a funding gap that emerged after the county completed the federal procurement process and negotiated a final contract price with the top-ranked firm.

Lee County Department of Transportation officials worked with Florida Department of Transportation through the Federal Highway Emergency Relief Program to seek funding for repairs stemming from Hurricane Ian. The county was initially awarded about $1.04 million in combined federal and state dollars for inspection services. FDOT later programmed an additional $392,031 to fully fund the contract.

The vote builds on actions taken in October 2025, when commissioners approved two construction contracts to repair storm damage to sidewalks, roadway surfaces and pedestrian safety features along Estero Boulevard. Those approvals included inspection services contingent on the supplemental agreement finalized this week.

Hurricane Ian made landfall Sept. 22, 2022, as a Category 4 storm, generating a powerful storm surge that submerged Estero Boulevard and left portions of Fort Myers Beach severely damaged. While temporary repairs allowed the road to reopen, county officials said the corridor has yet to be restored to pre-storm conditions.

The total project budget, including construction and inspection, is $13.7 million, all of which is being covered through grant funding. Construction is expected to begin in March.

Commissioners also approved a separate agreement with FDOT to advance design work on a long-planned SunTrail project that would create a 12-foot-wide shared-use path along Estero Boulevard between Fort Myers Beach and Bonita Springs.

The board voted to accept $705,783 in additional state funding to fully finance the design phase of the 3.25-mile trail segment, which would run from the Big Carlos Pass Bridge to the Big Hickory Pass Bridge. FDOT had previously allocated $555,095 for the design work, but negotiations with the top-ranked firm resulted in a total fee of $1.26 million.

While the design phase is now fully funded, construction money has not yet been secured. County officials said construction funding is expected to be programmed through future state budget cycles tied to SunTrail projects.

The proposed pathway will connect to a trail now under construction on the Big Carlos Pass Bridge. Although the trail will stop short of the Little Carlos Pass, New Pass and Big Hickory Pass bridges, pedestrian and bicycle pathways are planned for those crossings as part of upcoming bridge replacement projects that are entering the design phase.