I-75 and Pine Ridge Road interchange work brings weekend closures

COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. (WINK)—Pine Ridge Road near Interstate 75 will face closures this weekend as crews prepare to implement the next step in a diverging diamond interchange.

The Florida Department of Transportation will begin implementation of the diverging diamond interchange at I-75 and Pine Ridge Road (Exit 107) on Friday, May 29. The closures will allow crews to shift the travel lanes into the final DDI configuration, with work including lane restriping, temporary signage and traffic signals.

The project's goal is to make roads safer and less congested. But to get there, drivers have to go through some construction growing pains.

Months of construction and orange cones—that's what driver Glen Moder continues to see at the I-75 interchange on Pine Ridge Road in Collier County.

"It's pretty congested there in that little area, but it's actually, it's a pretty quick through once you get through it," Moder said.

On Friday, May 29, from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m., there will be intermittent closures of the southbound I-75 on-ramp and northbound I-75 off-ramp. From Friday, May 29, at 11 p.m. to Monday, June 1, at 6 a.m., there will be a full closure of eastbound and westbound Pine Ridge Road under I-75 for motorists, pedestrians and cyclists.

FDOT says the following movements will be closed: 

• Eastbound and westbound Pine Ridge Road under I-75
• Left turn from northbound I-75 off-ramp to westbound Pine Ridge Road
• Left turn from southbound I-75 off-ramp to eastbound Pine Ridge Road.

For those who haven't heard of a diverging diamond and its crisscross traffic pattern, it can seem a little complicated. Paul Rivers, a Collier County biker, described the design as just that.

"Complicated. It seems a little complicated," Rivers said.

FDOT says by Monday, there will be detour signs and law enforcement to help drivers along the way. Meanwhile, some drivers this weekend are ditching the area altogether.

"I'm definitely not going to take Pine Ridge, probably going to avoid that given the current conditions of what's going on here with all the cones and whatnot," Mason Ceccarelli said.

While others, like Moder, plan to take a detour.

"You can always go down to the next exit and go around if you don't want to deal with this stuff this weekend," Moder said. "The next exit is right down the road, and you can use the other roads to get where you need to go."

I-75 will remain open in both directions over Pine Ridge Road. 

Upon opening on Monday, June 1 at 6 a.m., drivers will be traveling in the final DDI configuration with pavement markings guiding drivers through the interchange. Additional signage will also be added.

Final completion of the project is scheduled for mid-2027. FDOT says crews will continue to work on sidewalks, barrier walls, pond excavation, permanent signage and signalization, lighting, paving, striping and sod installation. 

FDOT RECOMMENDED DETOUR OPTIONS:

During the closure, FDOT said, motorists should follow posted detour routes. 

For southbound I-75 to eastbound Pine Ridge Road, motorists may exit at Immokalee Road (Exit 111) eastbound to southbound Logan Boulevard, then return to Pine Ridge Road. For northbound I-75 to westbound Pine Ridge Road, motorists may exit at Golden Gate Parkway (Exit 105) westbound to northbound Livingston Road, then return to Pine Ridge Road.

Motorists traveling east on Pine Ridge Road may enter southbound I-75, exit at Golden Gate Parkway, enter northbound I-75 and exit onto eastbound Pine Ridge Road. Motorists traveling west on Pine Ridge Road may enter northbound I-75, exit at Immokalee Road, enter southbound I-75 and exit onto westbound Pine Ridge Road.

To visit FDOT's project website, click here.