Tim Aten Knows: Vanderbilt extension nearing completion 

Q: Any idea when Vanderbilt extension will open? It’s looking finished from Wilson!   

— Dawn Grundeman, Golden Gate Estates  

Q: When are they reopening Massey Street off Vanderbilt Beach Road? — Karen Angiuoli, Naples  

Q: Have you heard anything on an opening date for the Vanderbilt extension? It dead-ends now at 16th, so is there any discussion on the bridge on 16th or even a traffic light getting onto Randall once the Vanderbilt extension opens? — Tim Rudd, Golden Gate Estates  

A: While Collier County does not have a specific completion date yet, the long-awaited extension of Vanderbilt Beach Road is targeted to open “later this summer,” according to staff at the county’s Transportation Engineering Division.  

The massive years-long project extends Vanderbilt Beach Road about 7 miles east from Collier Boulevard to 16th Street Northeast in Golden Gate Estates. After passing Olde Florida Golf Club, the extension veers slightly north before running east through backyards of 5-acre lots between 10th Avenue and 12th Avenue Northwest and Northeast.  

The extension features six traffic lanes from Collier Boulevard to Wilson Boulevard, and two lanes with future expansion space from Wilson to 16th Street Northeast, all with a shared-use path. Traffic signals will be added to new intersections created at Wilson Boulevard, Eighth Street Northeast and 16th Street Northeast. Additional work required the relocation of a canal, the construction of bridges over three canals, and improvements to intersecting streets, including Douglas Street, Massey Street and Weber Boulevard.  

Sacyr Construction USA, the company Collier County hired as the general contractor for the local road project, is placing the final layer of asphalt from Collier Boulevard to Massey Street, completing the installation of intersection traffic signals, connecting utility fiber cable to public utility wells, and working to check off other preliminary punch list items, county staff reports.  

“The contractor ran into some contractual permitting issues with South Florida Water Management, and there are some things that are needing to get done for the tweaking of the intersection of Wilson and Vanderbilt just to make sure everything is flowing there, as well,” said Collier County Commissioner Bill McDaniel, whose District 5 includes the major road project.  

When the first phase of the extension project began in fall 2022, it was scheduled to take three years and be completed in fall 2025. But the actual wait to extend the roadway east from Collier Boulevard has been much longer. The community’s need for the road extension — which originally was planned to extend only to Wilson Boulevard — was triggered in 2006 for the population that had arrived by then, McDaniel said.   

“I wasn’t able to get it commenced until 2022. Sixteen years of population and growth transpired, which horribly impacted Immokalee Road as well as Golden Gate Boulevard, which were the only true east-west corridors that we had to move the people in and out,” he said.  

From a historical perspective, McDaniel said it always has been his mission as county commissioner to enhance the infrastructure available to residents.  

“For a long, long time, Collier County didn't prioritize infrastructure, almost to the point of ‘If you don't build it, they won’t come.’ That was the mantra for a long, long time,” he said. “It has not proven to be helpful for our community. One of the largest impacts on your quality of life is your capacity to get from A to B.”    

The Vanderbilt Beach Road extension is the most expensive road project ever undertaken by Collier County. More than $200 million of taxpayers’ money is being spent on the project. While the majority of that amount is for actual material and construction costs, millions of dollars more were needed for right-of-way acquisition and design and permitting costs.  

As part of the Vanderbilt extension project, Sacyr expects Massey Street, which has been closed to through traffic since February 2024, to fully open to the public later this summer when the extension is completed. However, that north-south road, which completes a connection between Vanderbilt Beach Road and Immokalee Road, could open earlier, the county reports.  

Much-needed improvements to Massey Street include curbs, gutters, a new shared-use path on its western side and a new connection to the original access road — which has been renamed Old Vanderbilt Beach Road — which also intersects with Douglas Street and Greyhawk Trail.  

Although the first phase of the extension ends at 16th Street Northeast, the county’s plans to build a bridge across the canal on 16th are part of a future project that may start next year. The traffic signal at 16th Street’s intersection with Randall Boulevard will be installed as part of the bridge project.  

The 2-mile second phase of the Vanderbilt Beach Road extension from 16th Street Northeast to Everglades Boulevard also includes constructing a bridge over the Golden Gate Main Canal. VBRX Phase 2 is still in design, with construction anticipated to start in late fall of this year, providing all permits are received, the Transportation Engineering Division staff reports.  

The 16th Street NE Project construction contract is pending Board of County Commissioners approval — potentially in June — with construction possibly starting in early fall.   

The total budget for Phase 2 of the Vanderbilt extension is $49.5 million, which includes the already completed right-of-way acquisition. Two travel lanes from 16th Street Northeast to Everglades Boulevard will be built on a six-lane footprint to allow for future expansion as traffic demand increases. A new signalized intersection is planned at Everglades Boulevard.   

The Tim Aten Knows weekly column answers local questions from readers. Email Tim at Tim.Aten@NaplesPress.com.