FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:   Paul Wingard or Pat Moore, Lee County Department of Transportation
                (941) 694-3334 

COUNTY LANDSCAPING PROJECTS SLATED FOR TWO MAJOR ROADWAYS 

FORT MYERS, Fla. (April 16, 2002) – The Board of Lee County Commissioners today approved a new priority list of roadway landscaping projects that will become part of LeeScape, the county’s Roadway Landscaping Master Plan. 

The top two projects for which funding will be available are Daniels Parkway (from Ben C. Pratt/Six Mile Cypress Parkway to U.S. 41) and Fowler Street (along Page Field from Colonial Boulevard to U.S. 41).  The Daniels Parkway project is 1.9 miles with an estimated cost of $343,000 and the Fowler Street project is 1.2 miles at a cost of $206,000.  The cost estimates are preliminary. 

The projects were ranked by the Roadway Landscape Advisory Committee based on various criteria, including type and location of road, existing landscaping and amount of traffic.  The county now will proceed with the design, preparation of contract documents, and bidding of the projects.  The approved landscaping will include trees and palms, which is the core level provided. 

LeeScape projects that have been completed in the last three years include: 

§         Daniels Parkway (from Southwest Florida International Airport to Ben C. Pratt/Six Mile Cypress Pkwy.)

§         McGregor Boulevard (from Iona Road to Griffin Boulevard)

§         College Parkway (from McGregor Boulevard to U.S. 41)

§         Bonita Beach Road (from Arroyal Road to Old 41) – design completed

§         Colonial Boulevard (from U.S. 41 to Evans Avenue)

§         Corkscrew Road (from U.S. 41 to Sandy Lane) – design done, construction this summer

LeeScape is the name given to Lee County’s Roadway Landscaping Master Plan, approved by the County Commission in October 1998 after a consultant and the citizens Roadway Landscape Advisory Committee spent 11 months holding public meetings and drafting the 181-page plan. 

Because of concerns about the appearance of our roadways, the Board of Lee County Commissioners has committed to supporting roadway enhancement efforts and raising awareness about keeping our roadways attractive and litter free.  LeeScape is part of a coordinated effort among several local organizations and programs to keep our roadways beautifully landscaped, well-maintained, and free of litter.