In the small city of Marco Island, residents are seeing a large project, aimed to improve infrastructure at one of the busiest and most important intersections in the area: Collier Boulevard and Barfield Drive.
This major construction project was approved by the City Council in April of 2025 and was created to address and mitigate congestion and issues regarding traffic flow that have had an effect on residents and tourists for many years. As many know, Collier Boulevard plays a crucial role on the island, being the primary north-south route for navigation. Improvements at this intersection were necessary for safety and overall traffic flexibility.
Construction officially started in September 2025, after the project was competitively bid. Officials of the city acknowledged that how the intersection was constructed at the moment was insufficient and lacked necessary lengths for the turn-lanes, which often made it difficult to manage traffic smoothly and efficiently during peak tourist season. These inadequate conditions contributed to large backups and safety issues, which urged the city to move forward with an overall redesign rather than just short-term tweaks.
The entire picture of the construction improvement project is extensive. There are planned upgrades like the implantation of new traffic signals, controllers, and poles, which will all work together to make the signal operations more modern and improve the traffic. Safety for pedestrians is also a major concern, with some upgrades designed to make intersection crossings a lot safer and more accessible. There is also an intent to place new through lanes during this construction to organize traffic movement and reduce conflict points between cars.
Aside from these surface-level changes to the road, the project also includes meaningful work beneath the intersection. Construction crews are working hard to improve water and reclaimed water, which are vital for maintaining a reliable utility service and supporting future growth on the island. There are also planned sidewalk improvements being added, which is helping to ensure the area remains an accessible place for pedestrians once construction is done…