FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:    Scott Gilbertson, Lee County Department of Transportation
                (941) 479-8580, or Amy Hughes, 479-8589

FORT MYERS, Fla. (October 24, 2000) – Lee County has received a $6-million, no-interest loan and $7.7-million of grant funds from the State of Florida for new and expanded roadways in Cape Coral, North Fort Myers, South Fort Myers and Bonita Springs that will complete major north-south and east-west corridors within the county.

Through the state’s County Incentive Grant Program, the county has received the following grants:

• $2.730 million (35% match) for the four-lane extension of Three Oaks Parkway from north of Alico Road to Daniels Parkway. Funds are for construction in fiscal year 2000-01.

• $672,000 (35% match) for the four-lane extension of Three Oaks Parkway south from Corkscrew Road to Williams Road. Funds are for construction in fiscal year 2000-01.

• $1.132 million (35% match) for the four-lane connection of Livingston Road and Imperial Street, from the Collier County line to Bonita Beach Road. Funds are for construction in fiscal year 2000-01.

• $3.125 million (50% match) for the widening to four lanes of Business 41 in North Fort Myers from Marianna Avenue to Littleton Road. Funds are for construction in fiscal year 2001-02.

The Three Oaks extensions and Livingston Road/Imperial Street connector are part of a major corridor that runs west of and parallel to Interstate 75 from the Collier County line to Daniels Parkway. The existing Three Oaks Parkway is scheduled for four-laning in FY 2002-03 and the extension south of The Brooks DRI is scheduled for completion in FY 2004-05. Once this is complete, the north-south corridor will run more than 17 miles long.

And through the state-funded State Infrastructure Bank Program, the county has received a $6-million, no-interest loan for the four-lane extension of Veterans Memorial Parkway from where it now ends at Surfside Boulevard west to Burnt Store Road. Construction on this segment is scheduled to begin in May 2001 and be completed by August 2002. The loan would be repaid from 2003 to 2008.

Once Veterans Memorial Parkway is linked with Burnt Store Road motorists will have a continuous transportation corridor approximately 30 miles long, running from Punta Gorda to Lehigh Acres.