Burnt Store Road – Veterans Parkway – Colonial Boulevard
Bi-County Corridor Study
Project No. 4085
Lee and Charlotte Counties, Florida

Open  House
Business  Owner  &  Tenant  Meeting

December 2, 2004
4:00 pm to 7:00 pm

Colonial Boulevard:

McGregor Boulevard to west of Cleveland Avenue

December 13, 2004
4:00 pm to 7:00 pm

Colonial Boulevard:

West of Cleveland Avenue to east of Metro Parkway

Welcome

Thank you for attending the Open House. We scheduled this meeting to provide the business community on Colonial Boulevard with information regarding the corridor study.  Members of the project staff are available to answer questions and provide you with further information.  Your input is valuable to the study process.  Furthermore, a public workshop will be held in Spring 2005 prior to the completion of this study.

Project  Objectives

The objectives of the corridor study are identified below.  The study conclusions will assist your local officials in programming transportation improvements over the next 25 years along Colonial Boulevard.

·                    Identify long-term 2030 transportation improvements

·                    Estimate right of way and construction cost

·                     Identify funding sources from local, state, and federal programs

Future  Needs

The project team has evaluated the forecasted growth along the Colonial Boulevard corridor.  Identified below are some preliminary needs:

·                    Improve mobility for local traffic and through traffic

·                    Provide additional lanes

·                     Provide additional overpasses at major intersections

Project  Phases  &  Schedule

The corridor study is one of several phases to be completed prior to construction.   Project phases beyond the corridor study have not been scheduled.  Furthermore, there is no funding available for phases beyond the corridor study.  The project phases are listed below:

·                    Corridor Study

·                    Project Development & Environmental (PD&E) Study

·                    Design

·                    Right of Way Acquisition

·                     Construction

Discussion  Topics

·                    Existing  Traffic  Congestion

·                    Access:

-         Existing

-         Proposed

·                    Concepts:

-         Partially  At Grade

-         Fully  Elevated

·                    Aesthetics

Open  House  Exhibits

·                    Project  Location  Map

The corridor study includes Burnt Store Road, Veterans Parkway, and Colonial Boulevard.  A project location map is provided below.

·                    Project  Schedule

As discussed previously in the Project Phases & Schedule section, project phases beyond the corridor study have not been scheduled or funded.  The duration of each phase was estimated in months.

·                    Express  Lanes  Conceptual  Plan

There are two conceptual plans being evaluated and were presented at the open house.  Express lanes are proposed for through traffic (long trips) and frontage roads are proposed for local traffic (short trips).  The express lanes and the frontage roads would be physically separated from each other.  Additionally, on/off ramps would be provided at designated  locations.  In order to geometrically accommodate the additional overpasses and on/off ramps, access to some signalized intersections and median openings would be closed.

The Partially At Grade (partially at ground level) concept evaluates the addition of overpasses at Summerlin Road, Fowler Street, the rail road crossing, and Metro Parkway.  Furthermore, the existing overpasses at McGregor Boulevard and at Cleveland Avenue would remain and be connected to the express lanes.

The Partially At Grade concept includes closing access to the following signalized intersections:  DeLeon Street, Solomon Boulevard, and Evans Avenue.  Additionally, access to all of the directional left turn medians would be closed:  Royal Palm Square, 1560 Condo/Fort Myers Christian School, Bowling Green, FedEx/Montego Bay, and the old Metro Mall.

The Partially At Grade concept propose on/off ramps between the express lanes and frontage roads at the following locations:  between McGregor Boulevard and Summerlin Road, between Summerlin Road and Cleveland Avenue, between Cleveland Avenue and Fowler Street, between Fowler Street and the rail road crossing, and east of Metro Parkway.  Furthermore, provisions for traffic making u-turns would be provided at the overpasses with McGregor Boulevard, Summerlin Road, Cleveland Avenue, Fowler Street, and Metro Parkway.

                 
The Fully Elevated concept evaluates the addition of overpasses at Summerlin Road, DeLeon Street, Solomon Boulevard, Fowler Street, the rail road crossing, and Metro Parkway.  Furthermore, the existing overpasses at McGregor Boulevard and at Cleveland Avenue would remain and be connected to the express lanes.

The Fully Elevated concept includes closing access to only the signalized intersection at Evans Avenue.  However, access to all of the directional left turn medians would be closed:  Royal Palm Square, 1560 Condo/Fort Myers Christian School, Bowling Green, FedEx/Montego Bay, and the old Metro Mall. 

The Fully Elevated concept propose on/off ramps between the express lanes and frontage roads at the following locations:  between McGregor Boulevard and Summerlin Road, between Summerlin Road and DeLeon Street, between Cleveland Avenue and Solomon Boulevard, between Fowler Street and the rail road crossing, and east of Metro Parkway.  Furthermore, provisions for traffic making u-turns would be provided at McGregor Boulevard, Summerlin Road, DeLeon Street, Cleveland Avenue, Solomon Boulevard, Fowler Street, and Metro Parkway.

·                    Typical  Sections

Typical sections (cross sections) were developed to accommodate the two Express Lanes Conceptual Plans discussed previously.  The typical sections being evaluated for the study corridor show the relationship between the express lanes and the frontage roads.  They also determine the approximate right of way needed for the corridor. 

The Typical Section At Grade (at ground level) and the Typical Sections Elevated are applicable to the Partially At Grade concept.  The Typical Sections Elevated are applicable to the Fully Elevated concept.  The typical sections are discussed below.

The Typical Section At Grade is applicable for segments along the study corridor where the signalized intersections are proposed to be closed.  These locations are between Summerlin Road and Cleveland Avenue, between Cleveland Avenue and Fowler Street, and between Fowler Street and the rail road crossing. This typical section applies to the Partially At Grade concept discussed previously.

The Typical Section Elevated with Retaining Wall is applicable along the study corridor where overpasses are proposed.  These locations are at Summerlin Road, Fowler Street, the rail road crossing, and Metro Parkway.  The existing overpasses at McGregor Boulevard and at Cleveland Avenue would remain with some modification in order to connect to the express lanes.  This typical section applies to the Partially At Grade concept.  Additionally the Typical Section Elevated with Retaining Wall is also applicable at Summerlin Road, DeLeon Street, Solomon Boulevard, Fowler Street and Metro Parkway.

Another typical section is being evaluated.  The Typical Section Elevated with Piers is similar to the retaining wall typical section. This typical section shows the express lanes elevated on piers instead of retaining walls.  This typical section is more costly than the retaining wall typical section.  However, it has different aesthetic characteristics.
               

·                    Potential Right of Way Needs

The typical sections developed for the study corridor determine the approximate right of way needed.  The existing right of way is not sufficient to accommodate the proposed express lanes and frontage roads.

Between McGregor Boulevard and Cleveland Avenue , additional right of way is anticipated primarily on the south side of Colonial Boulevard.  The extent of the impact affects most of the buildings which front Colonial Boulevard on the south side.  Some right of way may be required on the north side of Colonial Boulevard.  By the completion of this corridor study, the right of way needed will be defined further.

Provided is an aerial view of the corridor between McGregor Boulevard and Cleveland Avenue .  It illustrates the existing right of way and the area of potential right of way needs.

Between Cleveland Avenue and Metro Parkway , additional right of way is anticipated along Colonial Boulevard.  The extent of the impact affects mostly parking and some buildings which front Colonial Boulevard between Cleveland Avenue and the rail road crossing.  By the completion of this corridor study, the right of way needed will be defined further.

Provided is an aerial view of the corridor between Cleveland Avenue and Metro Parkway .  It illustrates the existing right of way and the area of potential right of way needs.

Questions  or  Comments

If you have further questions or comments about the corridor study, please contact the Lee County Project Manager:

                        Ms. Nicole C. Maxey, P.E.

            Project Manager

Lee County Department of Transportation

P.O. Box 398

Fort Myers, Florida  33901

Phone : (239) 479-8580

Email :  maxeync@leegov.com

< PRINT FRIENDLY VERSION - CLICK HERE >

www.bicountystudy.com