Burnt Store Road in Cape Coral has become a hot topic again following the recent deaths of 3 people on a tight stretch of the Lee County owned roadway. County Commissioner Brian Hamman floated the idea of having the City of Cape Coral help pay to widen the final 5.7 miles of the road. This week the Cape Coral City Council discussed Hamman’s idea and pretty much concluded, ‘it’s your road, you pay for it.’
The estimated cost to widen the final segment of Burn Store Road has ballooned to nearly $190 million. As of today there is no funding set aside by Lee County to complete the project. Hamman suggested Cape Coral pitch in some of its mobility fee money from that area of the city.
Council member Keith Long said the county is trying to extort money from the city and accused the county of using the three deaths to make this political. “We shouldn’t cower to the extortion. The obligation is theirs. They use our population for these DOT grants then they allocate the money to other projects. It’s 100% their obligation. They are taking a shot at making us look like we don’t care about public safety.“
Council member Bill Steinke said the county is spending money on Alico Road and Corkscrew Road and they need to get Burnt Store Road figured out. “If they lacked the wherewithal to collect the money for Burnt Store Road, that’s on the decision-makers. The County is responsible for that piece of work. They should prioritize it.”
There are plans for a joint county/city meeting to discuss the funding issue Hamman raised but at this point you have to wonder why that meeting will go forward.
Council member Joe Kilraine said, “We have to go in solid that it’s their responsibility and not let them think that we’re going to back off that position. They think that they can flip the onus on us and that we’re not caring about safety. The point is it’s their road and it’s their responsibility.“