Estero leaders approve plans to improve safety along busy road near Estero High School

ESTERO, Fla. (WINK) — Traffic backups, speeding drivers, and students crossing busy lanes of traffic have become a growing concern along River Ranch Road near Estero High School, and now village leaders are taking steps they hope will make the corridor safer.

On Wednesday, Estero Village Council approved the next phase of a traffic calming and safety improvement project focused on the roughly three-quarter-mile stretch of River Ranch Road connecting Corkscrew Road and Williams Road.

The approval allows the village to move forward with additional planning and design work tied to the project. The change order approved by council is not to exceed $34,600, with an additional $3,400 contingency for potential extra services.

Village leaders say the roadway has become increasingly congested over the years, especially during school pickup and drop-off times at Estero High School. In addition to school traffic, officials say many drivers now use River Ranch Road as a shortcut between Corkscrew Road and Williams Road, adding even more congestion to the area.

For Marie Schult, the traffic is something she deals with almost every day.

Schult picks up her granddaughter, a sophomore at Estero High, and says the backup can quickly become overwhelming.

“You’ve got four lanes of nothing but cars, and then you have the speeders,” Schult said. “It’s just something that needs to be done.”

According to village documents, a recent traffic evaluation found a significant number of drivers exceed the posted 30 mph speed limit along River Ranch Road. The report also highlighted pedestrian safety concerns, particularly because sidewalks are limited to one side of the road in some areas.

Village leaders say students often cross the roadway mid-block to reach sidewalks or neighborhoods nearby.

Mayor Joanne Ribble says safety was a driving force behind the project.

“Safety is utmost for the children there,” Ribble said.

The proposed improvements include dedicated left and right turn lanes near the Williams Road intersection, along with raised crosswalks, also called speed tables, at key pedestrian crossing points intended to slow traffic down.

“We decided … to put in a dedicated left turn lane and a right turn lane at the end of Williams Road, where it meets River Ranch Road,” Ribble said.

The project also calls for “two table speed bumps, to slow the traffic down at two key places where the students will cross the street to the sidewalk,” Ribble added.

For Schult, the biggest concern is safety.

“With the traffic the way that it is, and people are in too much of a hurry to pay attention crossing the street … they could get hit,” she said.

The School District of Lee County also released a statement to WINK News, saying:

“The safety and security of our students and staff is our top priority. We work closely with our municipal partners when off-campus traffic concerns are raised and support efforts that further enhance student safety.”

The project remains in the planning and design phase. Village leaders say once the plans are finalized, the project will go out for bid for construction. Officials say the goal is to have improvements in place by the end of the year.