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Say ‘no’ to new toll road

By Staff | May 27, 2020

To the editor:

Please do not build a new road from I-4 to Immokalee. The Sierra Club has built a long list of prestigious companies and organizations which have opposed this road. Listen to the people. A majority of the people are against this road. I challenge the state to put it on this year’s ballot to prove what I am saying.

First of all it is a water issue. We in Lee County will need this area to supply our water. As I write this many water wells in our area are being taken over by saltwater intrusion due to higher saltwater elevations do to water melting in the Arctic. One water expert even predicts that in 10 years we will need 40% more water than we now have in the world. With the development of towns and urban sprawl along this toll road we will be needing hundreds of thousands of gallons of water not even taking into consideration that Lee and Collier counties will grow by almost 2/3 of a million people or even more.

The second major consideration is the Florida panther which are dying by the dozens on our roads each year. This toll road will only add to panther road kills by another dozen or even more. Other wildlife will be threatened, too, in that you will be taking more than 50,000 acres away from wildlife habitat by building this road. The panthers need a huge deer population so they have the venison resources to eat and live on. Leading panther experts are saying not to build the road.Even one spoke out to the Florida Legislature saying not to build this toll road.

However, if you have to build the toll road use Route 27 from I-4 to around the Cyprus Knee Museum and then down Route 29 to Immokalee. Go around LaBelle on the outskirts of that historic classic city. Widen both roads to six lanes and put tolls on them. I travel Route 27 and it is under utilized as far as traffic is concerned. Same way for Route 29.Widen Route 80 to 3 lanes each way to 29. Great hurricane evacuation route for Southwest Florida.

Please take these ideas into consideration for the preservation of rural Florida, water and its destruction of the wild animals and the huge agricultural area it will be disrupting and even putting out of business. Keep old Florida as it is, please.

Thanks for listening. I sincerely hope the state will take some or all of my advice into consideration. Thank you again. Feel free to let me know your thinking on this topic.

Please, readers, write your email comments on this toll road to FDOT.Listens@dot.state.fl.us Use your own ideas if you want this road or if you do not want this toll road. If you like my comments, simply say I agree with Carl. The Florida panthers are at stake along with severe fresh water needs.

Carl Veaux,

Cape Coral

I speak for all the wild animals