Immokalee Rd. & Collier Blvd. Intersection Utility Improvements

Overview

Immokalee Road connects Naples to the City of Immokalee, and Collier Boulevard is one of the busiest traveled roads in town. Due to the high-volume traffic within this area, QE was hired to completely reconstruct the Immokalee Road /Collier Boulevard intersection. QE’s work on this project included tying into the existing water lines to reach a new subdivision and installation of a forcemain and other utilities. QE also installed a conspan bridge, relocated a canal by 200 LF, and used Horizontal Directional Drilling to install a 30” pipe underneath Immokalee Road. The project resulted in a widened intersection, with new traffic lanes constructed in every direction.

Project Challenges and Mitigations

Coordinating all work without shutting down the intersection posed a challenge on this project. In response, QE opted to shut down one lane at a time, working on a separate section each night. Another major hurdle was the fact that this geographic part of town is known for heavy rock conditions. A mere four feet below the pavement, QE’s crews had to cut through eighteen feet of rock in order to dig the new canal. MOT was also critical and required close coordination with Collier County Utilities as well as the South Florida Water Management District to divert a major canal along Immokalee Road.