More than two and a half years after crews broke ground, the widening of Ortiz Avenue in Fort Myers is finally closing in on the finish line. Lee County now expects all four travel lanes, along with the remaining shared-use path and on-road bike lanes, to open by the end of 2026 — though officials still have not announced an exact date for when drivers can expect the new road to fully open.
From Two Lanes to Four, With Much More Along the Way
The project is widening Ortiz Avenue from two lanes to four between Colonial Boulevard and State Road 82, according to WINK News. The scope goes well beyond extra travel lanes: per the Ortiz Ave Widening project site, plans call for a six-foot sidewalk on the east side of the road and a 10-foot paved trail on the west side, plus on-road bike lanes on both sides, new street lighting and a landscaped grass median. The contractor is also reconstructing the roadway with drainage improvements and stormwater management facilities, along with new water, reclaimed water and sewer facilities, the project site notes.
Some of that work is already paying off for nearby residents. The east-side sidewalk on Ortiz Avenue is complete and open to the public, and the west-side shared-use path is open from State Road 82 to the Vistas apartments, the county said in the same report. Two traffic lanes have remained open throughout construction, limiting the worst of the gridlock even as crews worked around commuters.
What's Left Before the Road Fully Opens
Remaining work includes finishing the shared-use path, lighting, landscaping, final grading, sodding, final asphalt paving, signage and pavement markings, per the same account. Drivers should expect temporary single-lane driveway closures when crews place that final layer of asphalt, so the construction headaches aren't entirely behind local commuters just yet.
Sandra Heath, a local driver, said navigating the construction area has been frustrating, while nearby resident Lauren Antrim said she now prefers biking to get groceries rather than driving through the construction zone — a workaround made easier now that stretches of the new sidewalk and shared-use path have opened.
Why the Timeline Kept Slipping
The project was originally expected to be completed in spring 2026, a timeline WGCU reported in April 2024, when contractor OHLA USA began work widening the corridor. In November 2026, WINK reported the $31 million project was expected to be completed before the end of the year, reflecting a timeline that shifted from spring into a broader end-of-2026 target.
Lee County attributed the delays to weather impacts, conflicts with existing underground utilities, and additional water and sewer work tied to the future Edison Avenue extension, the WINK report states. Those complications also pushed up the budget: the original estimated cost was approximately $31 million, and the county said the project's cost increased by $548,000 from that original estimate.
Earlier this year, the slow grind was still visible on the ground. A February report from Gulf Coast News Now described paving work scheduled on the east side of Ortiz Avenue, warning drivers to expect flaggers and heavy truck traffic in the area — a sign of just how much remained to be done at the time.
For now, Lee County has not announced an exact opening date for the project, leaving commuters like Heath and bike-riding neighbors like Antrim to keep adjusting their routines a little longer. With all four lanes, the shared-use path and the bike lanes expected to open by the end of 2026, the finish line for the Ortiz Avenue widening project finally appears to be in sight.
