Mark Novitski
Consultant
Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT)
The Interstate 75 widening project in Collier and Lee will commence in 2026. The project will be divided into four specific areas, with the first area from Bonita Beach Road south to Immokalee Rd. All four sections are projected to be completed by 2032.
According to Gov. Ron DeSantis, a project to widen Interstate 75 in Collier to Lee counties will begin earlier. The project, which will be completed 10 years ahead of schedule, will widen I-75 from 6 to 8 lanes to reduce travel times by an estimated 47% and improve traffic operations. The posting also said the project will “enhance the safety and quality of life for communities in Southwest Florida.”
Lee County Department of Transportation (LC DOT)
Alico (LC DOT) Rd widening – Airport Haul Road to State Route 82 – Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) District 2
Lee County is designing the extension of Alico Road to prepare for county population growth. This new roadway will connect with the existing Alico Road at the Green Meadow Road intersection and travel east and north to connect with SR 82 at the Sunshine Boulevard intersection.
On February 21, 2023, under BOCC Administrative Agenda Item 2, the Board selected the south alignment option presented in the widening analysis for the Alico Road Connector Phase I Widening Alico Road Extension from Green Meadow Road to State Road 82/Sunshine Boulevard.”
Construction of Phase 1 is scheduled to begin in Spring 2025.
Wright Construction Group, Inc. was awarded a contract for $26,843,745.56. This project includes constructing a four (4) lane arterial roadway extension from the north end of Three Oaks Parkway northward approximately 2.5 miles. The project includes a new bridge crossing, drainage improvements, two (2) on-road bike lanes, an 8’ concrete, 6’ concrete sidewalk, street lighting, and utility relocations and improvements.”
Phase II is expected to be completed in Spring 2026.
- Lee County (LC DOT) Road 951 (North-South connector east of Corkscrew Road) – BOCC District 3; Village of Estero Districts 5 & 7
Don Scott, Lee County MPO Executive Director, indicated, “… the 951 (North-South connector east of Corkscrew Road) feasibility study report will be ready in late winter or early spring 2025.” It has been suggested this might be a candidate for a toll road. It could be a State/Federal partnership to achieve!
Communities along East Corkscrew (in Estero) are not interested in this roadway! Many believe it should be located far east in Collier County, where Immokalee Road would connect somewhere around the State Route 82 and Corkscrew Rd intersection.
Village of Estero
Public Works Director David Willems updated the proposed landscape plan for the median along Corkscrew Road from Corkscrew Woodlands Blvd. to Ben Hill Griffin Parkway.
Johnson Engineering has completed the design and is collaborating with the Florida Department of Transportation and Lee County Department of Transportation to obtain approvals to install the landscaping and irrigation.
The existing trees will be kept, supplementing those not doing well. Ground cover, flowering bushes, and small flowering trees will be added. Installation is expected to start sometime this summer (2025).
- Corkscrew (LC DOT) Road Widening – Ben Hill Griffin to East side of Bella Terra – Village District 5 & 7
The road widening and related utilities movement for Phase 1 (from Ben Hill Griffin Pkwy. to Bella Terra Blvd.) are complete.
Corkscrew Rd Phase I landscape maintenance was added to the mowing contract on October 1st, 2024. The mowing contract only requires 10 cycles and does not include weed control. Both contracts have provisions for “wet areas” and waiting for them to dry out.
LC DOT welcomes concern on the landscape and maintenance of Lee County roadways: Landscape, trash, construction materials, pothole repairs, and minor roadway repairs. You can also report on their website https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/7d51036dfd3e4d7aa45e1ab21f915771?hide=field:problem_status,field:notes,navbar or call 239 533-9400.
Corkscrew Road is on the LC DOT schedule for once-a-month street sweeping. If additional sweeping is required, that will be accomplished.
The Village Council, determined on December 18th, 2024, Council meeting: The proposed Corkscrew Road improvements project starts at Ben Hill Griffin Parkway to the eastern side of Bella Terra (the Village’s eastern boundary). The project includes the construction of a 10-ft wide pathway with landscaping on both sides of the road, median landscaping, and decorative street lighting. The design and permitting of the project have been completed, and the Village’s consultant has obtained 90% of the required easement. The remaining easements will be obtained in the next 1-2 months.
From David Willems, Jan. 3rd, 2025, “A landscaping maintenance contractor will be hired after the pathway/landscape project is completed. The Village’s construction contractor will take over maintenance once they start construction in the next few months. As the Village starts its construction project for phase I, the landscape maintenance task on the LDOT contract will be eliminated.
The Village of Estero’s efforts started in late January 2025 with surveying, staking, and silt fencing. They are projected to take 6 – 9 months. Long-lead-time items (e.g., streetlight poles) may extend the timeline. The Village collaborated with LC DOT to have the same streetlight design from Ben Hill Griffin to the eastern edge of Bella Terra.
- A traffic signal on Corkscrew (LC DOT) Road at Estero Crossing Blvd and WildBlue Blvd – Village Districts 5 & 7
Previously, all understood that a traffic signal did not meet warrants for Lee County to install the traffic signal. Developer funding was being used by Rivercreek development, WildBlue commercial, and WildBlue development. Unfortunately, the three entities could not agree to fund the traffic signal! Rivercreek Development agreed to their fair share and deposited the funding in an escrow account.
Update from February 18th, 2025, BOCC meeting. Execute a Proportionate Share Agreement for a Traffic Signal at Corkscrew Rd. & Wildblue Blvd./Estero Crossing Blvd
Funding: Current Year Dollar Amount: $200,000.
Execute signalization agreement with 38769 Tampa FL, LLC/FL WildBlue, LLC for proportionate share payment of a new signal at Corkscrew Road and WildBlue Boulevard/Estero Crossing Boulevard. 38769 Tampa FL, LLC/FL WildBlue, LLC intends to construct a gas station and a convenience store, car wash, and other commercial uses with related infrastructure on the northwest corner of Corkscrew Road and Wildblue Boulevard/Estero Crossing Boulevard.
Lee County DOT acknowledges that a traffic signal at this intersection will be warranted to provide proper traffic safety as required under the Lee County Land Development Code. 38769 Tampa FL, LLC/FL Wildblue, LLC has agreed to pay $200,000, representing its proportionate signal share. This fee will be paid to the County within 30 days of execution of this agreement.
- Corkscrew (LC DOT) Road Widening – East side of Bella Terra to Alico Road – Unincorporated Lee County
The contract is with Bergeron Land Development. Construction began in the first quarter of 2024. Construction is expected to be completed in the summer of 2026.
We hope more traffic signals on Corkscrew Rd will decrease truck traffic, as stopping and going is not fuel-efficient. We expect trucks to travel on Alico Rd.
The chart below shows new home construction along East Corkscrew (LC DOT) Road:
Other Corkscrew (LC DOT) Road widening projects (from the Lee County MPO Transportation Improvement Plan):
It was reported that FDOT required additional information before approval. The developer engineering team and the Village of Estero are working to provide that information.
On Monday, October 14th, 2024, Mr. Randy Weng, FDOT Permits Manager, reported, “Comments went out to the engineer of record on 9/16, no response yet.
This intersection did/does not justify a traffic signal. The surrounding communities/developers/CDDs are required to pay for the signalization.
Williams Road is currently a two-lane road. Development of the North Point property, located north of Williams Road between US 41 and Via Coconut Point, is expected to widen Williams Road from the existing two lanes to four lanes from US 41 to Via Coconut Point.
Kisinger Campo & Associates was awarded the contract for the preliminary engineering and design of the Williams Road widening project. Currently, there is no estimated construction start date.
On Wednesday, October 16th, 2024, the Village Council identified this project as a second-tier priority for the 2025 fiscal year. The construction start date is TBD!
The plan calls for a crosswalk at Corkscrew Road; a 12-foot off-road concrete bike/ped path in those areas where possible, reduced to an 8-foot path was necessary; a pedestrian bridge over the Estero River; lighting; grasses and water tolerant plants in the swales, and a variety of trees and shrubs along the pathway.
The Village’s consultant is nearing completion of the project’s design and is working to obtain the permits required to build the project. This effort is on hold as the Village staff works to acquire easements. Unfortunately, some homeowners have not agreed to the proposed plan requiring easements on their property.
US41/ Williams Road / Atlantic Gulf (Village of Estero) Intersection Improvements (Williams Rd West Roundabout) – Village Districts 2, 4, & 6
Construct roadway intersection improvements on Williams Road east of US-41 to prevent illegal left turns out of the Walgreens parking lot and improve left-turn vehicle stacking at US-41. Potential improvements include extending the eastbound left turn at US-41, installing a traffic separator to prevent left turns out of Walgreens and Atlantic Gulf Drive, and constructing a roundabout at Life Care Center.
On Wednesday, October 16th, 2024, the Village Council identified this project as a first-tier priority for the 2025 fiscal year. Currently, there is no construction start date!
Resurfacing and widening to add 1-ft shoulders, Sidewalks & crosswalks, and Drainage improvements. River Ranch Road Improvements—Roadway, drainage, and bicycle/pedestrian improvements along River Road include the Williams Road Intersection roundabout and Estero High School turn lane improvements. These are in the Village’s out-of-year Capital Improvement Plan (CIP).
The Coconut Road Traffic Study recommends the installation of three roundabouts (Coconut Shores, Meadowbrook, and El Dorado) along Coconut Road, west of US-41. The Study indicates the existing intersection will reach capacity in 2028. As traffic along Coconut Road increases with future development, making southbound left turns (the predominant movement at each intersection) onto Coconut Road will become more complex. The Coconut Shores, Meadowbrook, and El Dorado entrances are expected to fail. Roundabouts were recommended to improve these intersections, allowing vehicles and pedestrians to more safely cross Coconut Road.
This is a government bureaucracy at its worst. The Village of Estero owns the majority of Coconut Road west of US41. Lee County owns a small section of the road. Just before the Village of Estero was established in 2014, the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort and Spa agreed to be incorporated into Bonita Springs. Previously known as Weeks Fish Camp, the area was also incorporated into the City of Bonita Springs. Any road impact fees associated with The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Estero Bay, being constructed now are collected by the city of Bonita Springs.
In addition to 50-100 heavy trucks daily transiting Coconut Rd to support the construction of the Ritz-Carlton Residences, Estero Bay, the residents in the above three communities live with dangerous intersections. These heavy trucks are prematurely tearing up the road. There is no land (easement/right of way) to acquire and widen Coconut Road.
The City of Bonita Springs, the Village of Estero, and LDOT have not agreed to share the cost of building the three roundabouts.
The Village CIP has identified the 3 Coconut Road Roundabouts, but not anytime soon!
Coconut Road (west of US 41) was a discussion item at the January 21st, 2025, BOCC meeting, as they were adjusting the boundaries of the SaltLeaf CDD.
- Access to Estero (Lee County) Community Park from Via Coconut (Village of Estero) Road – Village District 4
Unfortunately, the Lee County Parks and Recreation Department is not interested in creating the main entrance off Via Coconut Road.
There is a safety issue as cars turning left (westbound) onto Corkscrew Rd from the community park, Estero Historical Society, and office park risk their lives to get on Corkscrew Rd. There is no plan for a traffic signal at Corkscrew (LC DOT) Road to facilitate safe westbound turning.
The Village of Estero approved the Estero Sports Park plan at its January 22nd, 2025, Council meeting. The plan shows one entrance off Via Coconut (Village of Estero) Point and two off Williams (Village of Estero) Road. It does not show vehicle access to the Estero Community Park. Hopefully, bike and pedestrian access will be included.
- Traffic signal on US41 (FDOT) at Sweetwater Ranch Rd and Fountain Lakes Blvd – Village Districts 1 & 6
This intersection did/does not justify a traffic signal, and the warrants do not justify the signal. If the surrounding communities/developers desire a fully operational traffic signal, they must fund the installation. There currently exists a flashing signal for the Estero Fire Rescue station. Converting a flashing signal to a functional traffic signal is not easy, and the cost could be $1M.
- Access to Estero River Park from US41 (using County Road and Highlands Avenue [Village of Estero]) – Village District 4
The infrastructure contract awarded identifies access to the Estero River Park from US41 on County Road. Where County Road and Highlands Avenue converge, there will be gated access to the Estero River Park. County Road will be required to be upgraded. Is there a plan for a Traffic Signal at US41 and County Rd
David Willems responded to an inquiry. “It is too early in the planning process to speculate on how traffic will be managed. Any traffic signal along US 41 would be subject to the same review by FDOT as any other project. Considering the size of the property, there might not be enough traffic to warrant a traffic signal, but those details will be worked out as Council decides what will be placed on the property.”
- Via Coconut Point (Village of Estero and City of Bonita Springs) connector to Old US 41 – Village District 1; Bonita Springs District 1
Although the Village of Estero has identified this effort in its ” out-year” Capital Improvement Plan (CIP), the City of Bonita Springs is not interested in the project.
As various phases of the Utilities Expansion Program are undertaken, roads will be impacted during construction and require repairs and improvements. In addition, curbs, gutters, storm drains, and sidewalks may be constructed.
In Early January 2025, an email with questions was sent to David Willems, Village of Estero, Director, Public Works. With the Village UEP program moving forward, are road improvements included in these efforts? Specifically, roadway curbs, gutters, storm drains, gutters, marked crosswalks, etc.? Will the potable water and sanitary sewer be installed under the roadway or in the right-of-way?
David replied, “The answer to these questions varies by project.
Some locations already have potable water, so no new water will be installed. Where we are extending water, it will generally be located along the edge of the right of way, not under the roadway.
Where the gravity sewer is being installed, the entire roadway must be replaced. Generally, the roads we are working on do not have a curb, gutter (sidewalks), or crosswalks. But if the construction impacts them, they will be replaced.”
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