NAPLES, Fla. — Between Pelican Marsh Elementary School and multiple neighborhoods on Airport-Pulling Road between Immokalee and Vanderbilt Beach Roads, it can get quite congested.
Now, the Collier County Transportation Management Services Department is hoping to fix this issue by widening this portion of Airport-Pulling Road from 4 lanes to 6 lanes.
"Anytime we have more capacity or more traffic expected of course we want to help accommodate," said Connie Deane, Community Laison Collier County Transportation Management Services Department. "We need to add the ability to take care of that capacity."
The extension is currently budgeted for more than $34 million and the current 30% plan has it extend inwards toward the median. Deane says along with the widening of the road, the new model improves the traffic lights and sidewalks already on the road.
However, for many who live near Airport-Pulling Road, there are some concerns.
"There will be more traffic and our concern is will the light at the school, which is right in front of my community, will be an active light year round not only during the school year," said Joanne Ziccarelli, Crescent Lake Estates Resident. "Otherwise, we are stuck in our community and we can't get out because there is such major traffic jams on Airport now."
Many who attended the public meeting on Tuesday told Fox 4's Bella Line they are excited about the updates but under certain conditions.
"Our concern is sound mitigation which they currently started a study on, so we need to make sure that the noise level hitting the community is reasonable," said Russ Gomes, a Pelican Marsh Foundation member.
Deane says when it is all said and done it could be until the end of 2027 before we see the road extension.
You can find the most recent plan here. Fox 4 will keep you up to date as plans develop.
