Estero neighbors to speak out on I-75 widening plan at community meeting

ESTERO, Fla. (WINK) — The Florida Department of Transportation is holding the first of two in-person meetings about the I-75 widening project between Lee and Collier counties on Monday.

• SEE ALSO: Construction continues on I-75 at Collier Boulevard through 2026

The meeting is happening at Estero Community Park from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. The park is on Corkscrew Palms Boulevard, just off Corkscrew Road.

FDOT wants to add more lanes, including more express and auxiliary lanes. The department also plans to build a new diverging diamond interchange at Immokalee Road and add noise walls at certain locations, which are essentially large, solid walls that block and deflect sound.

FDOT's goal is to improve traffic and congestion along the 21-mile stretch of I-75 from Golden Gate Parkway to Alico Road.

Neighbors shared their main concerns about this stretch of the highway and plan to speak out about it at the meeting.

"There's going to be more light pollution. There's going to be sound pollution, and they said that they were going to put up a wall. It's a sound barrier wall, but that was the first time that I talked to the representative, so I don't know what's happening in the next meeting, but we'll definitely be there to find out," Carolyn Cofield said.

If you can't make this meeting, there's another one in Collier County at the same time at North Collier Regional Park. There's also a virtual meeting at 6 p.m. Wednesday night.