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Interstate 75 North - Collier County
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West of Exit 49, junction Broward County Route 833 (Snake Road) at the Miccosukee Indian Reservation and Big Cypress Indian Reservation, the tolled Interstate 75 (Alligator Alley) enters Collier County (near milepost 50). There are no services on the four-lane divided freeway for the next 50 miles until junction Collier County 951 (Exit 101). Interstate 75 continues due west toward Naples with the interchange at Florida 29 occurring in 30 miles at Exit 80. Photo taken 12/28/03. |
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Upon entering Collier County, Interstate 75 also enters the Big Cypress National Preserve. Established in October 1974, the Big Cypress National Preserve covers approximately 720,000 acres. Interstate 75 is rare in the fact that it is part of an elite group of Interstate highways to traverse through National Park/Monument lands. Other Interstates include Interstate 94 (Theodore Roosevelt National Park in western North Dakota) and Interstate 15 (Mojave National Preserve in California). Photo taken 12/28/03. |
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Still trekking west, Interstate 75 (also referred to as Everglades Parkway) approaches the first exit within Collier County, junction Florida 29 and Exit 80 (former Exit 14A). Interchanges along Florida interstates were once sequential, but with a conversion in 2002, they were replaced with mileage-based exit numbers. Exit 14A fell between Exit 14 (Broward County 833) and Exit 15 (Collier County 951). The conversion to mileage-based exit numbers eliminated unnecessary confusion when an interchange was added to the existing interstate freeway system. Photo taken 12/28/03. |
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Florida 29 north extends to Immokalee and La Belle before merging with U.S. 27 near Palmdale (northwest of Clewiston and west of Lake Okeechobee). Florida 29 south extends to meet U.S. 41 (hidden Florida 90) four miles west of Ochopee. The state-maintained portion ends at U.S. 41 while a county-maintained portion (Collier County 29) continues south, connecting Everglades City and Chokoloskee to the state highway system. Use Florida 29 south to access swamp attractions, including the Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park, Big Cypress National Preserve, and Everglades National Park. Twenty-one miles separate Florida 29 from Collier County 951 (Exit 101), which lies on the eastern peripheral of Naples. Photo taken 12/28/03. |
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No longer a tolled facility, Interstate 75 north prepares to meet Collier County 951 and Exit 101. Exit 101 also connects motorists with Florida 84 west. Before Alligator Alley (Everglades Parkway) was upgraded to interstate standards in the early 1990's, Florida 84 once seemlessly linked Naples with Fort Lauderdale. When Interstate 75 was routed onto Alligator Alley, that alignment was severed. Florida 84 now exists in two segments, one in Fort Lauderdale parallel with Interstate 595 and the other portion in Collier County from Collier County 951 west to U.S. 41. Collier County 951 south heads to Marco Island while Collier County 951 north travels to nearby Golden Gate. Photo taken 12/28/03. |
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Northbound Interstate 75 reaches Collier County 951 (Exit 101). Collier County 951 (Collier Boulevard) is a major north-south arterial that originates as a state highway in Marco Island. It becomes a county-maintained facility north of U.S. 41 southeast of Naples. Collier County 951 continues north from U.S. 41 as a divided highway with four to six lanes. It passes Florida 84 and Interstate 75 within a quarter mile of each other, continuing north of the interstate to Golden Gate and ultimately Collier County 846. Use Collier County 846 east to reach Immokalee and a junction with Florida 29. Photo taken 12/28/03. |
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Reassurance marker for Interstate 75 north after Exit 101. The freeway will end its westerly trek at the interchange with Golden Gate Parkway (Exit 105) in about 2.5 miles. Photo taken 08/28/10. |
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Interstate 75 begins its approach to Collier County 886 (Golden Gate Parkway) and Exit 105. The interchange opened to traffic March 12, 2007, providing an additional access to Naples and Golden Gate. Photo taken 08/28/10. |
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An older mileage sign indicates the distance to the next interchange at Collier County 896. This particular sign predates the completion of the Golden Gate Parkway interchange (Exit 105) by at least three years. As of 2010 this sign was still in place. Some of the tremendous growth spurt in the Naples area (and in Southwest Florida in general) is evident with the construction of subdivisions lining the interstate as it makes its way west and north toward Exit 105 and beyond. First photo taken 12/28/03. Second photo taken 08/28/10. |
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Collier County 886 begins at U.S. 41 north of downtown Naples and extends east 7.2 miles to end at Collier County 951 in Golden Gate. A single point urban interchange (SPUI) was opened in 2007 at Collier County 886 and Collier County 31. CR 31 (Airport-Pulling Road) is a north-south route linking U.S. 41 with Collier County 846. Photo taken 08/28/10. |
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Interstate 75 begins its northward turn as it nears Collier County 886 (Exit 105). From this point, I-75 will shoot north to the greater Fort Myers area and beyond. Photo taken 08/28/10. |
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Collier County 886 (Exit 105) was not an original interchange when the interstate was constructed through to Naples in the 1980's. Opening in Spring 2007, Golden Gate Parkway west provides Interstate 75 with a more direct connection with downtown Naples. CR 886 east navigates motorists through Golden Gate before terminating at Collier County 951 (Collier Boulevard). Photo taken 08/28/10. |
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Having gained an additional travel lane and heading north, Interstate 75 will encounter Collier County 896 (Pine Ridge Road) and Exit 107 in 1.25 miles. Part of a recently completed project, over 30 miles of Interstate 75 have been upgraded from four to six travel lanes (three in each direction) to accommodate the increased traffic between Naples and Fort Myers. The current six-lane portion ends at Florida 82 (Exit 138) with provisions of continuing it northward toward Charlotte County. Photo taken 08/28/10. |
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Pine Ridge Road (CR 896) extends west four miles from Interstate 75 to end at U.S. 41 in North Naples and three miles east terminating at Collier County 951. The county route also intersects another major north-south arterial serving the Naples area, Collier County 31 (Airport-Pulling Road) halfway between I-75 and U.S. 41. Photo taken 08/28/10. |
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Motorists depart for Collier County 896 (Exit 107). Pine Ridge Road is another major local east-west corridor serving the North Naples (and indirectly Naples) and Golden Gate areas. First photo taken 12/28/03. Second photo taken 08/28/10. |
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Continuing north from Exit 107, Interstate 75 will next meet Collier County 846 (Immokalee Road) in 3.6 miles. Photo taken 08/28/10. |
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Interstate 75 north prepares to encounter Collier County 846 and Exit 111. Delnor-Wiggins State Park lies along the Gulf of Mexico and is reached via Collier County 846 west and Bluebill Avenue. Like other areas in Southwest Florida, Interstate 75 has been slowly surrounded by development, losing more and more forest land each time. First photo taken 12/28/03. Second photo taken 08/28/10. |
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Collier County 846 (Immokalee Road) begins at U.S. 41 in Naples Park and heads east toward Interstate 75, Collier County 951, and beyond. The county route eventually ends 32.9 miles from its suburban beginnings in downtown Immokalee at Florida 29. Photo taken 08/28/10. |
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Interstate 75 reaches Collier County 846 and Exit 111. Much like the rest of the corridors linking the interstate with the Naples area, the portion between U.S. 41 to about two miles east of Collier County 951 has surrendered to suburbanization over the decades. Immokalee Road has transformed from a one time agriculture-based two-lane road to a six-lane commercialized and subdivision-laced arterial. First photo taken 12/28/03. Second photo taken 08/28/10. |
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North of Exit 111, Interstate 75 north prepares to depart Collier County. Lee County 865 (Bonita Beach Road) and Exit 116 lie ahead. Lee County 865 serves the city of Bonita Beach along the U.S. 41 corridor in south Lee County. Photo taken 08/28/10. |
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Interstate 75 will enter Lee County and the city of Bonita Springs at mile marker 115. Lee County 865 (Exit 116) is now almost 0.5 miles ahead. Photo taken 08/28/10. |
Photo Credits:
2003-12-28 by AARoads. 2010-08-28 by AARoads.
Page Updated 10-28-2011. |
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