The final phase of the Midway Boulevard road widening project in Port Charlotte has begun with completion scheduled for mid 2018. Midway Blvd will then be a four lane road from Tamiami Trail (US 41) to Kings Hwy. The first phase from 41 to Harbor Blvd is complete. The current phase will run from Harbor to Kings.

Crews have installed “silt fencing” along the 2-1/4 mile stretch involved in this phase with roadwork to begin in mid-October. The roadway will have four traffic lanes and a center turn lane to ease traffic along the Midway Blvd corridor. There will be a new traffic signal at Beacon Drive and sidewalks on both sides of Midway Blvd with pedestrian crossings at the schools, Port Charlotte Middle School and Neil Armstrong Elementary School. These sidewalks will make the walk to school much safer for students and parents.

Temporary sidewalks meeting ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) requirements will be installed during construction to assure safety. New, attractive street lighting will also be part of the project safety aspects. A closed drainage system will enhance drainage and safety and eliminate any open swale along Midway.

Temporary detours along Midway Blvd will be inevitable but the hope is to make these as few possible and remove them as soon as possible. It is all necessary to make travel around Port Charlotte more convenient.

The Midway Blvd widening project is being funded in part by the one penny sales tax approved by Charlotte County voters in 2008.