The first exit in Lee County is Exit 116, Junction Lee County Route 865, Bonita Beach Road. Lee County Route 865 has an odd route through, part of which is state-maintained (5.934 miles total). It begins at this interchange and extends due west along Bonita Beach Road to Bonita Beach on the Gulf of Mexico, then turns north along Hickory Boulevard to pass through Carl E. Johnson County Park en route to the town of Fort Myers Beach. From Fort Myers Beach, Lee County Route 865 changes into Florida 865, then extends north back onto the mainland as San Carlos Boulevard. Florida 865 again reverts to a county route when San Carlos Boulevard meets McGregor Boulevard and Gladiolus Boulevard at the junction with Florida 867. Lee County Route 865 then aims east along Gladiolus Boulevard, crosses U.S. 41 again, then heads northeast along Six Mile Cypress Parkway (former Lee County Route 80B, now Lee County Route 865) and Ortiz Avenue to terminate at Florida 80 east of downtown Fort Myers. Photo taken 12/29/03.
Northbound Interstate 75 approaches Exit 116, Junction Lee County Route 865/Bonita Beach Road west and Bonita Beach Road east into the Big Cypress Swamp, with connections to Hunters Ridge Country Club and Worthington Country Club. Photo taken 12/29/03.
For some reason, the Lee County Route 865 shield is omitted from all three of the approach signs along northbound Interstate 75 at Exit 116. However, a space for the shield was left on the guide signs for future inclusion. Northbound Interstate 75 reaches Exit 116, Junction Lee County Route 865/Bonita Beach Road. Photo taken 12/29/03.
The next exit along northbound Interstate 75 is Exit 123, Junction Lee County Route 850/Corkscrew Road, 1.25 miles. Unlike Lee County Route 865, Lee County Route 850 is fully signed from Interstate 75. Photo taken 12/29/03.
Lee County Route 850 is an east-west route that connects Interstate 75 with U.S. 41/Florida 45 to the west (at Koreshan State Park and Pelican Sound Country Club) with Corkscrew Swamp to the east. Use Lee County Route 850 west to U.S. 41 south to the town of Estero. Although some maps show Lee County Route 850 connecting with Florida 82 to the east, parts of it are not improved. Use Exit 123 to access the Germain Arena/TECO Arena, home of the Florida Everblades, Firecats, and Flame. Photo taken 12/29/03.
Northbound Interstate 75 reaches Exit 123, Junction Lee County Route 850/Corkscrew Road east to Corkscrew Swamp and west to Estero and Koreshan State Park. Use Lee County Route 850 east to Ben Hill Griffin Parkway north to reach the Miromar Outlet Shops and the Germain/TECO Arena, home of the Everblades. Photo taken 12/29/03.
The next exit along northbound is Exit 128, Alico Road/San Carlos Park, 1.25 miles. Despite the extra space on the guide sign, Alico Road does not have a numerical county route designation. Photo taken 12/29/03.
Alico Road extends east and then south to join Lee County Route 850/Corkscrew Road east of TECO Arena. To the west, Alico Road connects to U.S. 41/Florida 45/Tamiami Trail en route to the town of San Carlos Park. Photo taken 12/29/03.
Northbound Interstate 75 reaches Exit 128 (former Exit 20), Alico Road east to Corkscrew and west to San Carlos Park. This interchange is a folded diamond, which is essentially one half of a cloverleaf. Photo taken 12/29/03.
The next exit along northbound Interstate 75 is a major interchange. Exit 131 is the junction with Florida 876/Daniels Parkway east to Southwest Florida International Airport, Rest Area, and Florida 82 and west to U.S. 41/Tamiami Trail and Cypress Lake Drive in Fort Myers. Florida 876 is not signed, primarily because it is only the designation for Daniels Parkway between Interstate 75 and the rest area (a total of 0.74 mile). The rest of Daniels Parkway is unsigned Lee County Route 876, which extends east to Florida 82 northeast of the airport. Photo taken 12/29/03.
In addition to providing access to the largest airport in southwestern Florida, this interchange also provides the most direct route from northbound Interstate 75 to Cape Coral, via Daniels Parkway west to U.S. 41/Tamiami Trail north to College Parkway west. After crossing the Caloosahatchee River, College Parkway changes into Cape Coral Parkway. Photo taken 12/29/03.
Northbound Interstate 75 reaches Exit 131, Junction Florida 876/Daniels Parkway east to Southwest Florida International Airport and west to Fort Myers and Cape Coral. Photo taken 12/29/03.
The next exit along northbound Interstate 75 is Exit 136, Junction Florida 884/Colonial Parkway, 1.25 miles. Florida 884 extends west to Cape Coral as Toll Lee County Route 884, skirting downtown Fort Myers to the south. It also extends east as Lee County Route 884, becoming Lee Boulevard after crossing Florida 82. Lee County Route 884 then enters Lehigh Acres, then turns north via Joel Boulevard to end at Florida 80. Photo taken 12/29/03.
Northbound Interstate 75 reaches Exit 136, Junction Florida 884 west to Fort Myers and Lee County Route 884 east to Lehigh Acres. Florida 884 is a divided highway with some limited access characteristics. Upon crossing U.S. 41 at an interchange, the state route becomes a county route, but there are still additional ramps in place for Florida 867/McGregor Boulevard before reaching the toll bridge over the Caloosahatchee River. Photo taken 12/29/03.
The next exit along northbound is Exit 138, Junction Florida 82. As noted in the last two exits, Florida 82 has been coming toward Interstate 75 from the southeast, thus allowing Lee County Route 876 and Lee County Route 884 to cross Florida 82. Florida 82 begins in Fort Myers, crosses Lehigh Acres, and terminates at Florida 29 north of Immokalee. Photo taken 12/29/03.
From Interstate 75, Florida 82 follows Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard west directly into downtown Fort Myers. It meets U.S. 41, Florida 867/McGregor Boulevard, and Florida 80 (Bay Street/First Street one-way couplet) in downtown Fort Myers. Photo taken 12/29/03.
The next exit along northbound is Exit 139, Luckett Road to Lee County Route 865/Ortiz Avenue. Use Luckett Road to enter the eastern portion of Fort Myers. Photo taken 12/29/03.
Northbound Interstate 75 reaches Exit 139, Luckett Road. Like Alico Road to the south, this road does not have a state or county route designation, but space was allocated on the guide sign to allow for such a designation in the future should one be applied. Photo taken 12/29/03.
The next exit along Interstate 75 north is Exit 141, Junction Florida 80/Palm Beach Boulevard. Palm Beach Boulevard is so named because Florida 80 connects Fort Myers with Palm Beach County, including West Palm Beach and Palm Beach. The final several miles of Florida 80 on the eastern coast of Florida are shared with U.S. 98, but the route crosses the peninsula on its own route, excluding a joint section with U.S. 27 through Clewiston and U.S. 441 east of Belle Glade. Florida 80 meets Florida 29 in La Belle, some 22 miles east of here. All of Florida 80 is multi-lane divided except for the stretch between Florida 29/La Belle and U.S. 27/Lake Hicpochee. Photo taken 12/29/03.
Northbound Interstate 75 reaches Exit 141, Junction Florida 80/Palm Beach Boulevard. Use Florida 80 east to reach La Belle and west to downtown Fort Myers. The highway follows a one-way couplet as the highway enters the downtown area, skirting the Caloosahatchee River. Photo taken 12/29/03.
Interstate 75 prepares to cross the Caloosahatchee River on an arched concrete bridge that is visible in the distance. The Caloosahatchee River Bridge is curved, and it carries two lanes in each direction. The bridge rises high enough to provide outstanding views of the surrounding areas. Meanwhile, the next exit along northbound is Exit 143, Junction Florida 78/Bayshore Road/Pine Island Road, 1.75 miles. Photo taken 12/29/03.
Florida 78 follows the northern bank of the Caloosahatchee River. This river originates in Lake Okeechobee and flows west through Lake Hicpochee and La Belle before becoming the separation between Fort Myers and Cape Coral. Although the section between Florida 31 and Florida 29 is a county route, the rest of route through North Fort Myers and through Citrus Center north of Lake Hicpochee are part of the state maintained facility. Photo taken 12/29/03.
Northbound Interstate 75 reaches Exit 143, Junction Florida 78/Bayshore Road east to Alva, Senaud, and North La Belle and west to Bayshore, North Fort Myers, and Pine Island. Photo taken 12/29/03.
At the bottom of the offramp, a left turn connects to Florida 78 west to Bayshore and North Fort Myers, while a right turn leads to Florida 31 near Fort Myers Shores. Between Florida 31 and Florida 29, Florida 78 is downgraded to Lee County Route 78; it is again a state route between Florida 29 and U.S. 27. Between U.S. 27 near Moore Haven and U.S. 98-441 near Okeechobee, Florida 78 is a major state route, skirting the northwest edge of Lake Okeechobee. Photo taken 12/29/03.
