Work was to begin this week in Lehigh for a “roundabout,” a relatively new concept for traffic control.

Lee County Commissioner Frank Mann spoke to the media on Monday at the site where the construction has begun – Sunshine Blvd. and 23rd St.

The roundabout concept has been discussed several times by Ed Weiner, a vice chairman of the Lehigh Acres Community Planning Corp. (LACPC).

He says they are excellent ways of moving traffic through an area without stop lights.

Mann said roundabouts are being used in other sections of the country with great success but he said the concept has rarely been utilized here in Lee County. One area where there is a roundabout is in Cape Coral.

“I am very happy to see our county DOT embarking on this project, and planning for even more projects like this, said Mann.

“This is also a traffic control method that can allow continual movement of traffic, and cost no more than the installation of the typical signal device, which brings traffic to a complete halt during the red light phase.

“And it can be constructed for a fraction of the cost of an overpass,” Mann said.

Mann has been to Lehigh when other road projects have begun. A few months ago, he came to Lehigh when a road surfacing job was extended.

At that time, he acknowledged that Lehigh roads and streets needed attention and he said he would do all he could to get work done.

Mann said there are two stimulus packages from the Obama Administration for road work.

“We are preparing bids from that package – for Sunshine and Lee Boulevard and Homestead Rd. and Milwaukee at a cost of $2.3 million,” he said.

In a printed report of what’s happening with roads in this area, Mann said the county has completed major intersection improvements at SR82 and Daniels Parkway, and in the 2009-09 budget, have resurfaced 140 roads in Lehigh Acres.

“Underway now is the construction with intersection improvements at Williams Rd. and 5th Street. There will be intersection improvements to Joel Blvd. and Country Club and also under construction are improvements with intersection at Buckingham and Cemetery Rds.,” he said.

Mann also said in a prepared statement that there is a sidewalk project ongoing along Sara Ave., a joint project with the Lehigh Acres planning group.

And looking ahead, Mann said six laning of Colonial from I-75 to SR82 and multi-laning of SR82 from I-75 to Colonial Blvd. is expected to begin soon.