The project to replace the Big Carlos Pass Bridge is expected to be completed by summer 2026. The county is also beginning construction on a walking trail that will extend from the bridge to Bonita Beach. Photo by Nathan Mayberg/Fort Myers Beach Observer

The Lee County Board of County Commissions on Tuesday approved an agreement with the Florida Department of Transportation to use state funds to create a 12-foot-wide mixed-use walking trail from the Big Carlos Pass Bridge to the Big Hickory Bridge, connecting Fort Myers Beach to Bonita Beach.

The trail is part of the Florida Shared-Use Non-motorized (SUN) Trail Program and would stretch approximately 3.25 miles along Estero Boulevard from the Big Hickory Pass Bridge to the Big Carlos Pass Bridge, Lee County government spokesman Tim Engstrom said.

Planning is expected to begin by the end of the year. Construction is not yet funded, but is expected to be funded by FDOT using state funds. The SUN Trail program was created in 2015 and receives an annual allocation from a redistribution of state license plate revenue.

The Big Carlos Pass Bridge is currently under construction and will include walkway connections to the future SUN Trail. In addition, the county is planning a future project to replace the remaining three bridges between Hickory Island and Fort Myers Beach. These replacement bridges will also include the future SUN Trail.

The Big Carlos Pass Bridge replacement project is scheduled to be completed in 2026.