As we move through life and reach those milestone birthdays ending in “zero,” our holiday wish lists inevitably evolve. When we were young, it was all about circling toys in the Sears catalog. Later, it became clothes and tools. And now? My list has narrowed to the things I can enjoy: good food, good drink, and opportunities to travel the world.

Having lived in Estero for over 12 years and, like other residents, being subject to many road-safety and congestion issues, I’ve found myself crafting a very different kind of wish list—one focused on transportation improvements for the Greater Estero Area.

These items are not ranked in any particular order, and some may or may not currently appear in the Capital Improvement Programs of the Village of Estero, Lee County Department of Transportation (LC DOT), or the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). But they represent priorities that could make a meaningful difference in our community’s mobility, safety, and quality of life.

Greater Estero Transportation Holiday Wish List

1. Create a frontage-road connection for Breckenridge traffic (see Fig. 1)
   Connect Breckenridge Drive to Cayo de Estero Shoppes and Terracap Way, giving residents access to a signalized intersection. Ongoing development in the area should tie into both roadways.
2. Link Williams Road to Fountain Lakes Boulevard (see Fig. 2)
   Extend the access road south to align with a potential future traffic signal at Fountain Lakes Blvd and Sweetwater Ranch Road (currently marked by a flashing light for Estero Fire Rescue).

3.Install needed traffic signals
a. Fountain Lakes Blvd / Sweetwater Ranch Road at US 41
b. Pelican Colony Blvd at US 41
c. Corkscrew Crossing Blvd / Wild Blue Blvd at Corkscrew Road

4. Add turn lanes
a. Northbound Three Oaks Parkway into the Post Office
b. Northbound US 41 to County Road (for the Estero on the River site)

5. Convert the Corkscrew Road / I-75 interchange into a Diverging Diamond Interchange (DDI)
A DDI would significantly improve traffic flow and safety at this busy interchange.

6. Widen Corkscrew Road from Ben Hill Griffin Parkway to US 41

7. Upgrade the Corkscrew Road and Three Oaks Parkway intersection
Add a second right-turn lane from northbound Three Oaks Parkway to eastbound Corkscrew Road.

8. Expand traffic monitoring capabilities
a. Use innovative traffic technologies to support timely signal retiming.
b. Retune major corridor signals twice a year to account for seasonal traffic patterns (US 41 south of Corkscrew, Corkscrew Road, and Three Oaks Parkway to Ben Hill Griffin).

9. Require the Westfield developer to construct the Coconut Road roundabout now
This improvement is essential as development progresses.

10. Upgrade the Coconut Road and US 41 intersection
a. Restriping to create three westbound left-turn lanes.
b. Provide tools for more responsive seasonal signal retiming.

11. Improve pedestrian safety with Pedestrian Hybrid Beacons and raised crosswalks
a. Estero Parkway
b. Corkscrew Road
c. River Ranch Road (for safer access to Estero High School)

12. Extend the Via Coconut connection south to Production Circle
This would remove local traffic from a congested stretch of US 41 and reduce left-turn conflicts near the Coconut Road intersection.

13. Expand non-motorized pathways and community trails
a. Bonita Estero Rail Trail (BERT)
b. FP&L utility corridor trail opportunities
c. Connect Sandy Lane north to Estero Parkway
d. Connect Broadway East to Three Oaks Parkway

So, what’s on your Holiday Wish List for the Greater Estero area?
Share your thoughts with us—we want to hear what matters most to you as we plan for a safer, more connected future for our community.

Please let us know your three wishes for a safer, better Greater Estero in the comments below!

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