Lee County Update: Little Pine Island Bridge

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Fort Myers, FL, May 2, 2023 – The Lee Board of County Commissioners voted Tuesday to ask the Florida Department of Transportation to incorporate a full replacement of the Little Pine Island Bridge as a part of the permanent repairs to Pine Island Road through Matlacha, which expedites the bridge construction and makes it more resilient to future storms as soon as possible.

Matlacha Restoration Meeting of 4-25-23

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Report from The Matlacha Civic Assoc.:

As we have reported previously, Lee County Commissioner Kevin Ruane has tasked the Lee County Deputy County Manager to provide coordinated assistance in the Restoration of Matlacha. The Second Meeting of the Restoration group was held in Ft. Myers on April 24, 2023, with 7 county subject area staff present along with almost 25 Islanders and 11 others attending by zoom. The subject area summaries prepared by the staff are attached.

FEMA Trailers to be Removed by Aug. 1st

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Official Release 5/1/23 from FEMA:

"Under certain conditions, FEMA may allow the placement of Transportable Temporary Housing Units (TTHUs) within a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA).  This is only after all other practicable alternatives have been exhausted within a community that has been approved for FEMA’s Direct Temporary Housing Program.

FDOT Road Closures in Matlacha

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FDOT’s Emergency Restoration of Pine Island Road Causeway and Bridge, motorists can expect temporary, intermittent lane closures with flagging operations along CR 78 (Pine Island Road) from west of Little Pine Island Bridge (Bridge No. 120111) to west of Shoreview Drive.

Fla DOT Matlacha Project CR 78

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(Quoting Fla DOT:) Due to the catastrophic damage caused by Hurricane Ian, FDOT is committed to improving quality of life for Pine Island property owners and the community. An executive order from Governor DeSantis paved the way for urgent planning and design for permanent Pine Island Road Causeway and Bridge repairs. More information will be released as the planning process evolves. 

End Matlacha Bottleneck Now

Submitted by Publisher on

Now is the time to begin engineering extra lanes and/or expedited traffic through Matlacha to end the endless hours of backed-up traffic which endangers Pine Islanders lives and wastes thousands of hours of valuable important appointments, reduce actual fire and rescue costs, (five stations for 12,000 Pine Island residents) contractors increased costs, and burns valuable time and energy.

Lee County DCD Opens Remote Office at Library

Submitted by Publisher on

The Lee County Department of Community Development will open a weekly remote permit office at the Pine Island Public Library, 10701 Russell Road, Bokeelia, to allow residents to obtain permits for repairs to existing buildings damaged by Hurricane Ian.

The remote permit office will be open weekly from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each Wednesday starting Jan. 4 through Jan. 18.

Pine Islander's Find Their U.S. $ worth 30% Less

Submitted by Publisher on

Pine Islander's received a shock when Lee County Electric Co-op sent out electricity bills reflecting, on average a 30% increase, seemingly overnight. Of course, a huge shock and burden on those with fixed incomes, but an equally unpleasant surprise for the 60% Pine Islanders who didn't vote for this. Two hundred dollar bills became $300, $300 became $450, etc.

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