MATLACHA
Are you going to Matlacha? If so, one may want to check the new Lee County DOT-run Matlacha Live Camera to determine how much congestion there is.
You can check drive times from, for instance, Burnt Store and Veterans on to Matlacha Island. There’s also a legend that shows red as 50% more congestion, yellow for 25% more congestion, or green, which means you are good to go.
Drive times naturally are worse during the season, but certain times of the day are better.
“Sometimes a couple minutes, sometimes 10-20 minutes… it really just depends on congestion,” explained Rob Price, deputy director of the Lee County Department of Transportation.
Price explained this pilot program has been in the works for more than a year and Bluetooth readers track speeds at the site. He says this pilot program location was selected by request of the Greater Pine Island Chamber of Commerce and Greater Pine Island Civic Association.
The plan is to see how this helps residents and then evaluate its effectiveness. Price says if it is successful, similar projects could go up in places like Sanibel or Fort Myers Beach.
Remember, delays could be present for a while as only temporary repairs have been made on the Matlacha Bridge; permanent repairs will start soon.
WINK NEWS