My wife and I recently relocated to Estero, and we love it. It’s such a great place to live. We have (mostly) great weather, beautiful natural surroundings, excellent recreation opportunities, and access to good restaurants, shopping, and beaches.
Unfortunately, one big downside of living in a fast-growing area is the traffic.
According to local officials, the Village of Estero currently has about 45,000 full-time residents. (In 2000, there were 9,500 full-time residents.) In season, that number increases to roughly 65,000. Even more significant, there are already approved permits for an estimated 25,000 additional homes and apartments in the area.
Over the past several years, growth throughout Estero and the surrounding Corkscrew corridor has accelerated significantly. Large developments such as Verdana Village, Kingston, and other planned communities continue to add thousands of new homes east of I-75. As an example, the Kingston community will eventually include 10,000 dwelling units.
At the same time, major commercial and mixed-use developments continue along US-41 and Coconut Road. New restaurants, retail, apartments, and entertainment options are helping make Estero an even more vibrant community — but they also bring more traffic and more congestion.
The challenge, of course, is that infrastructure tends to lag growth. Roads, interchanges, and traffic improvements often take years to plan, approve, fund, and build. If you drive on Corkscrew Road, Three Oaks Parkway, or US-41 then you know what that means.
The good news is that improvements are underway. Ongoing and planned projects include additional road widening, intersection improvements, and continued work associated with the I-75/Corkscrew interchange area. Over time, these investments should help traffic flow more efficiently.
Still, most experts believe traffic conditions in Southwest Florida will get worse before they get better. Continued population growth, combined with the long timelines required for infrastructure projects, means residents should probably expect ongoing congestion and construction for the foreseeable future.
Unfortunately, we all need to accept that heavy traffic — especially during season — is part of life in Southwest Florida. The area continues to grow because so many people want to live here. While road improvements are coming, traffic challenges are not going away. In the meantime, a little patience can help. Leaving home five minutes earlier, avoiding peak times when possible, or just turning on a favorite song and relaxing behind the wheel may make those slower drives a little easier to handle.
