Rep. Mack passes on overpasses

Rep. Connie Mack will be pushing to fund interchange work at Collier Boulevard and Interstate 75 in the next federal budget, but studies of four overpasses on U.S. 41 in Lee County will have to wait another year.

"Unfortunately, the overpasses didn't make the mix this year," said Jeff Cohen, Mack's chief of staff. "But we are supportive. If it comes back next year it will be a priority."

Tina Matte, spokeswoman for the Southwest Florida Transportation Initiative, which requested the overpass money, said she was disappointed the overpass studies won't be included in Mack's request for transportation appropriations but glad to hear it should be at the top of the list for inclusion next year.

"I was a little surprised, and it certainly will be requested again next year," she said.

The transportation initiative, made of local developers and community leaders, had requested $4.5 million to pay for project design and engineering work at Bonita Beach Road, Gladiolus Drive, Daniels Parkway and College Parkway.

Cohen said the overpass at Colonial Boulevard has helped traffic flow. Matte said the other overpasses could help U.S. 41 carry more traffic.

Even if the money went into the next federal budget, however, it would take years to get the work done because of the time needed for engineering and design work, right of way acquisition and construction.

Photo by Chad Yoder, Daily News

"The best-case scenario is six to eight years," Matte said.

Though the overpass money didn't make it onto the request list, Mack, R-Fort Myers, will push for the Collier Boulevard-I-75 funding as well as money to make road capacity improvements on State Road 82. That work would help to create a bypass that will use 82 and State Road 29 to reach the interstate east of Naples.

Nick Casalanguida, planning director for Collier's transportation department, said the state and county are working on assessing the Collier Boulevard-75 interchange now.

Design work is 90 percent complete for expanding Collier all the way from Davis Boulevard to U.S. 41, Casalanguida said.

"Hopefully in the end we'll be looking at one big project, or maybe one following closely on the other," he said. "We're hoping to do that late this year."

Cohen said Mack receives numerous road-funding requests from Southwest Florida and weighs them against a number of factors, including the likelihood of approval. Whatever the region gets from the annual appropriations budget, it won't touch the $91 million that was included last year for I-75.

"The highway bill is every five or six years, and we hit that in the sweet spot," he said.

In fact that allotment, which included a $10 million earmark to study a Coconut Road-I-75 interchange, sparked local controversy. Some saw it as an effort by federal officials to make local planning decisions, and an effort by landowners east of the interstate to push development into that area.

Mack expressed concern that local outrage might affect future federal budgets, as Southwest Florida could be seen as turning its back on federal funding, but Cohen said he's heard no backlash.

"We didn't want the unintended consequences," he said. "We haven't heard any of that."