The Vanderbilt Beach Road Extension project (from Collier Boulevard to 16th Street NE) is an approximately seven-mile extension of the existing roadway that will be mostly six-lanes with a median and includes bike lanes and a shared-use pathway. The existing Cypress Canal along Vanderbilt Beach Road (from west of 31st Street NW to 15th Street NW) relocation further south was needed to accommodate the widened roadway. Completion is expected in the spring of 2026.

Following on the heels of this project is another two-mile extension of this road which is currently being designed and has reached the 60 percent design stage.

Phase II will continue from the terminus of where Vanderbilt Beach Road Extension Project Phase I is currently being constructed, at 16th Street NE, and continue to Everglades Blvd. Phase II will be initially constructed as an undivided two-lane roadway with shoulders, curb and gutters, and a paved multi-use pathway. The interim improvement is being designed within a four-lane divided roadway right-of-way footprint which will accommodate future projected traffic volumes.

The intention of the project is to continue the purpose of the Vanderbilt Beach Road Extension Phase I project, to prepare for future growth in Golden Gate Estates and provide an alternate route for people who live east of Collier Boulevard. Effectively, the project will relieve traffic from Immokalee Road, Randall Boulevard, and Golden Gate Boulevard. The connection to Everglades Boulevard also offers much needed connectivity to an eastern, north-south corridor. The additional capacity and connectivity will help decrease travel delay as well as emergency response times in the project area.

The design of this approximate two-mile new roadway extension is anticipated to be completed in the spring of 2025, and construction is anticipated to start about the end of 2025. 

Additional information may be found on the Transportation Engineering Division’s website at https://www.colliercountyfl.gov/transportationprojects.