The Lee Board of County Commissioners continued its commitment to the county’s roadway network on Tuesday, voting to allocate an additional $7.5 million from the General Fund to roadway resurfacing projects due to the increasing cost of labor and materials.

The Lee County Department of Transportation currently budgets $10 million per year for resurfacing, which includes:

• $5 million for Lehigh Acres neighborhood streets

• $4 million countywide

• $1 million on selected sections of arterials

However, the price per ton for asphalt has increased more than 50 percent during the past few years. Lee DOT staff presented the budget challenges to the board at its March 5 workshop. The increased funding will help address the increased costs of materials.

The Board has identified roads and bridges as a strategic priority as Lee County approaches 1 million residents.

In other transportation matters Tuesday, the Board:

• Approved consensus from the March 5 workshop on the DOT project priority tiers, including moving the four-laned expansion of Sunshine Boulevard in Lehigh Acres, from 75th Street West to State Road 80, to the top of Tier 2.

• Voted to award a low bid contract to Pavement Maintenance, LLC, to provide roadway resurfacing, intersection improvements, and ADA upgrades on Pine Island in the amount of $1.1 million. Work is expected to begin in April.

• Approved a change order to the contract with OHLA USA to add adjacent roadways to a resurfacing project in the San Carlos Park area, resulting in a cost savings to the county of about $200,000. This brings the project total to about $1.8 million.

To watch a video of the Lee Board of County Commissioners transportation workshop from March 5, visit youtube.com.

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Source: Lee County Government