Concerns over road widening project in Collier County

Collier County has proposed to widen Airport Pulling Road to six lanes to improve traffic flow.

The county wants to fix traffic, but neighbors say the plan will worsen it.

The estimated cost is $34.5 million, and the project likely won’t be completed until 2027. Still, Tuesday’s meeting was the community’s first chance to see what plans are in store and offer their opinions.

If you drive down Airport Pulling Road in Collier County, there’s no doubt about it…

“Bad drivers, people speeding, running red lights, changing lanes without giving a signal,” said John Robinson, a North Naples resident.

The new plan is to widen Airport Road between Vanderbilt Beach and Immokalee.

“It will have sidewalk and bike lanes on both sides of the roadway, will also have medians, and we’ll have access management,” said Connie Dean, communication liaison for the Transportation Management Services Department.

Access management is what people who live along this stretch disagree with.

“People here seem to think U-turns are God’s gift to traffic flow, and they’re not,” said Brian Leith, who lives in Victoria Park, a nearby neighborhood.

Residents who live in neighborhoods like Victoria Park or Crescent Lake Estates say they “will be losing the ability to make a left-hand turn in and out of our development,” said Janet Digiovanni, Crescent Lake Estates resident. “I’m not real happy about losing my left turn access.”

John Robinson, on the other hand, embraces those U-turns.

“They’re safer, actually. I’ll make a right turn, go down, make a U-turn to come back, and sometimes it even saves me time to do that,” Robinson said.

Most of the residents WINK spoke with agree that an expansion is needed.

“I like the six-lane. It’ll hopefully reduce delays,” Robinson said.

However, Leith thinks this money would be better spent just up the road.

“You can’t make a right on Immokalee Road from Airport Road because it’s all backed up, and that’s where the issue is,” he said.

Another design is set to be presented in about six months.

If you missed Tuesday’s meeting, you can still give community input on this initial plan via mail or email.

If you’d like to submit a comment on this plan or ask questions, you can email TECM@colliercountyfl.gov.

You can also mail comments by Dec. 19, to:
Collier County Transportation Engineering Division
Attn: Bee Thao, P.E.
2885 South Horseshoe Drive
Naples, FL 34104