Edgewater Drive Phase 2 Improvements
(941) 62-GO-EP2 / (941) 624-6372
EP2 is the Edgewater Drive Phase 2 Improvements Project, which includes:
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For more information, review detailed roadway plans here.
Starting January 5, traffic delays are likely as construction activity begins between Midway Boulevard and Lakeview Boulevard. After March 2, Edgewater Drive will be closing to thru traffic with local access only. Check the detour map here to plan your route home.
Yes. The U.S. Postal Service will continue mail delivery. In the event your mailbox can’t be accessed during any part of construction, you will be notified ahead of time about the location of centralized mail delivery boxes. Contact the Port Charlotte Post Office at (941)625-2397.
Charlotte County School Board will be modifying bus schedules as needed throughout the project and will contact families with any changes to bus stops or pick up/drop off times. Contact the Charlotee County School Board Transportation Department at (941)575-5432.
Yes, the parks will remain open. Boat launches and tennis courts will be available for use throughout the project.
The east entrance to Spring Lake Park off Edgewater Drive is closed until completion of Spring Lake Bridge construction. Visitors may access park through west entrance. Drivers: please use caution entering and exiting Boat Ramp.
Trailer parking is free at the Spring Lake Park boat ramp for the duration of the EP2 project.
Thomas Marine Construction is replacing and widening three bridges along the Edgewater Driver Corridor in Port Charlotte across the East Spring Lake, West Spring Lake and Sunrise Waterway. The contractor anticipates leaving one of the spans open at all times for marine traffic. Any channel restrictions or temporary closures will be coordinated with the Coast Guard and published in the Local Notice to Mariners. Waterways will remain open to boaters to the greatest extent possible throughout the project. Boat traffic near bridges will be restricted only during phases of construction that present a potential danger to boaters. Check GoEP2.com for updates on boating access and consult the U.S. Coast Guard Local Notice to Mariners for details.
The County’s goals in providing road improvements include:
The project is funded by the local option sales tax. The “one cent sales tax” was first approved by Charlotte County citizens in 1994 and was extended in 2008 with voter approval.
The Edgewater Drive Phase 2 Improvements are budgeted at $28.2 million.
Yes. Every effort is being made to coordinate design and/or construction with other county projects planned along Edgewater Drive. In addition to the road improvements, Charlotte County Utilities will be installing a new water and sanitary sewer main along with an irrigation main. These efforts are being coordinated so all construction within the project limits is performed at one time to reduce the impact to residents and to create cost-efficiencies in construction.
According to the State of Florida Department of Transportation, roundabouts move traffic safely and efficiently through an intersection. The benefits of a roundabout include slower speeds, reduction in pollution and fuel use, and reduction in severity of accidents. Drivers also have more time to judge and react to other vehicles and pedestrians.Converting a two-way stop to a roundabout can result in up to an 82 percent reduction in severe crashes and a 44 percent reduction in overall crashes.
Learn more about roundabouts by reviewing FDOT resources: the brochure A Guide to Roundabouts or the video Understanding & Using Roundabouts: A Safe & Easy Alternative to Traditional Intersections.
The proposed bridge design slightly raises the clearance at each bridge. However, they will not accommodate larger or taller boats than they do now.
The proposed West Spring Lake bridge will have a Bottom of Bridge Elevation at the Mid-Channel at 12.3 feet, which means the bottom of the bridge will be 12.3 feet above the zero elevation (i.e., sea level) established by the US Geodetic Survey. Effectively the proposed Vertical Clearance from Mean High Water (MHW) will be 11.1 feet versus the existing Vertical Clearance from MHW, which is about 10.6 feet, an increase of about 0.5 feet or about 6 inches. The horizontal clearance at Mid-Channel between faces of bridge support will be 32'-6"
The proposed East Spring Lake bridge will have a Bottom of Bridge Elevation at the Mid-Channel at 12.5 feet, which means the bottom of the bridge will be 12.5 feet above the zero elevation established by the US Geodetic Survey. Effectively the proposed Vertical Clearance from Mean High Water (MHW) will be 11.2 feet versus the existing Vertical Clearance from MHW, which is about 10.5 feet, an increase of about 0.6 feet or about 7 inches. 'The horizontal clearance at Mid-Channel between the bridge supports will be 32'-6".
The proposed Sunrise Waterway Bridge will have a Bottom of Bridge Elevation at the Mid-Channel at 11.6 feet, which means the bottom of the bridge will be 11.6 feet above the zero elevation established by the US Geodetic Survey. Effectively the proposed Vertical Clearance from Mean High Water (MHW) will be 10.4 feet versus the existing Vertical Clearance from MHW, which is about 8.9 feet, an increase of about 1.5 feet or about 18 inches.'The horizontal clearance at Mid-Channel between the bridge supports will be 32'-6"
When given a choice between leaving the bridges open and shifting one lane of traffic in each direction as structures are built and demolished, or detouring and closing the bridges at different times to construct replacement bridges in a single phase, 80 percent of residents who completed the survey chose the detour option to save $2 million – roughly 25 percent of this portion of the project – and avoid up to 6 months of additional delays.
The County and State are looking at ways to change the timings on the traffic lights to allow for better traffic movement.
Adding an additional left turn lane isn't possible at this intersection. However, the County and the State are analyzing each intersection associated with the EP2 project to determine if there are solutions to improve traffic flow. Adding additional time to the existing turn lane is a possibility, but the delays to the remainer of the intersection remains a consideration.
Check the PROGRESS tab for updated information by project area and by month. CC-TV's EP2 update video contains general project progress information. The EP2 Spring 2016 update video highlights progress – above ground and below -- on the Edgewater Drive Phase II Improvements Project.
