This summer, the drive out of Pelican Marsh's western neighborhoods crossed limerock. A single temporary outbound lane at the US 41 entrance has done two jobs. It carried residents out, and it was the emergency way in. Meanwhile Heatherwood Construction rebuilt the main gatehouse beside it. That lane is about to be retired. The October 2026 Pelican Marsh Brief said the project was expected to be finished before the end of October.
The new gatehouse will probably be the last access project around Pelican Marsh to finish on time for a while. Every other way in or out of the community is now tied to a county road project, and each one has its own timeline. The front gate is the one the community schedules itself, through the Pelican Marsh Community Development District. The District has also had a quiet hand in shaping the county projects.
The Front Gate Runs on the District's Clock
The rebuild belongs to the CDD, the independent special district that its own board, at the July 15, 2026 meeting, said "operates much like a small city for the community." At the February 18, 2026 meeting, the board reported a signed contract with Heatherwood Construction. The total cost was expected to be about $1 million, less a $70,000 credit for materials bought and stored for an earlier attempt at the project. Work was set to start May 1, with completion expected in late September or early October. The contract has a guaranteed maximum price, and the District hired an independent project manager to oversee it.
In July, District manager Neil Dorrill said the crew was slightly ahead of schedule despite the rain. The columns, slab, masonry walls and tie beam were done, and trusses were due the following week. The board chose a dry-stack stone trim over a tumbled cobblestone option, preferring the more contemporary look. The Fiscal Year 2027 budget includes $28,250 for gatehouse equipment, which can go toward upgraded cameras, license plate readers and related hardware.
By August 19, Chairman Robert Giannetti was reporting pavers on the south side, with roof shingles, paint and stone going on the other side. He also noted that a finished side would stay closed for a while because gate arms, cameras and wiring still had to go in. The District had considered spending about $100,000 on a separate emergency-access route through the landscaping. Instead it kept the existing roadway alignment, made small curb changes and did much of the gate-arm and electrical work in house. Giannetti also praised Heatherwood for its communication and responsiveness.
The District's minutes make the urgency clear. In December 2023, the Pelican Marsh CDD minutes recorded that the east side of the property has three gates and the west side has one. That single western gate serves neighborhoods including The Gables, Egret's Walk, Grand Isle, Sweet Bay, Arbors, Bay Colony Estates and Portofino. While it was closed, those households used the temporary lane. The Airport gate was staffed 24 hours a day.
Vanderbilt Beach Road Changes the Left Turn Out
The county's projects start at the south edge of the community. Collier County issued the notice to proceed on widening Vanderbilt Beach Road from four lanes to six. The project runs about 1.8 miles, from just east of US 41 to east of Goodlette-Frank Road, and the contractor began mobilizing in July 2026. Construction is estimated at about $28.4 million and two years, weather permitting. Most lane closures are planned between 9 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., Monday through Saturday. The October Brief says the overall project is expected to continue into 2028.
Bay Laurel Drive is where the project changes a daily habit. The county's design handout includes a question from a Pelican Marsh resident about turning left out of Bay Laurel. The answer is no. Once the road is six lanes, the full median opening becomes a directional opening. These moves remain:
- Right turns out of Bay Laurel Drive, with a U-turn at Goodlette-Frank Road for anyone heading east
- Left turns onto Bay Laurel Drive from eastbound Vanderbilt Beach Road
- U-turns for westbound Vanderbilt Beach Road traffic
The District helped shape the turnaround. In December 2023, Dorrill told the CDD board he had asked the county for a deceleration lane and a median cut so residents leaving at Vanderbilt could U-turn east. He said the plans were changed to add the U-turn lane before the crest of the road near the preserve, where sight lines are a problem. The same meeting pressed the county to landscape the new median. The county's handout says the design includes brick pavers in the median and that landscaping is not part of the project.
The biggest disruption on this road comes next spring. In spring 2027, crews will install a box culvert under the road, cutting traffic to one lane in each direction between Strada Place, Mercato's entrance, and Goodlette-Frank Road for about two months. That falls in the heart of season. When the work is done, the Strada Place exit will allow two lanes of left turns, and eastbound drivers will get a second left-turn lane onto northbound Goodlette-Frank.
Airport-Pulling Road: The Easement Is Signed
On the east side, the Airport Road six-laning from Vanderbilt Beach Road to Immokalee Road has already reached District business. In January 2026, District counsel Tony Pires reviewed two easements the county requested. One is a permanent easement along Pelican Marsh Boulevard South to just south of Galleria. The other is a temporary easement to restore the driveway where Galleria Drive meets Airport Road. In February, the board approved a $40,000 sale of a drainage easement to the county for the project.
The design calls for a six-lane divided road with a 22-foot raised median, on-street bike facilities, rebuilt sidewalks and closed drainage. The most recent milestone on the county's transportation projects page is the 60 percent design public meeting on March 27, 2025. A 2025 county planning document forecast a June 2026 start and up to two years of work. Neither this page nor the county's notices list a start date, so for now the Airport gate side is upcoming work.
Goodlette-Frank Runs Through the Golf Course
The longest wait is on Goodlette-Frank Road, the stretch that crosses the community itself. At a September 30, 2026 public meeting at Veterans Community Park, the county showed 30 percent design plans for widening the 1.6 miles from Vanderbilt Beach Road to Immokalee Road from two lanes to four. Two items on the county's list matter most to Pelican Marsh. One is a new bridge over Pelican Marsh Boulevard next to the repaired existing bridge. The other is a new golf cart underpass next to the repaired existing one. The plan also adds a multi-use path on the southbound side, a continuous sidewalk on the northbound side and bike lanes on both sides.
Design is expected to be finished in summer 2027, and construction could begin as early as spring 2028. Florida's Transportation Regional Incentive Program is expected to contribute a $2.75 million construction grant. The meeting handout shows the work in three phases with temporary barrier walls. The October Brief calls the timing "less certain" and says the Foundation will keep residents posted.
The Calendar, Entrance by Entrance
| Route | Who builds it | Where it stands, late October 2026 | Next milestone |
|---|---|---|---|
| US 41 main gatehouse | Pelican Marsh CDD, Heatherwood Construction | Finishing; completion expected before the end of October | Gate arms, cameras and wiring before full opening |
| Vanderbilt Beach Road and Bay Laurel Drive | Collier County | Under construction since July 2026 | About two months of one lane each way in spring 2027 |
| Airport-Pulling Road | Collier County | $40,000 drainage easement sale approved by the District in February 2026 | No construction start announced |
| Goodlette-Frank Road, bridge and cart underpass | Collier County | 30 percent design shown September 30 | Design done summer 2027; work as early as spring 2028 |
Inside the Gates, the Season Starts on Time
Inside the community, the season is starting on schedule. Courtside has new striped awnings and clear, temperature-controlled drop-down screens. The Foundation has also signed a five-year extension with Courtside that runs through 2032. The court sports program has two new pros, Ransom Braaten in tennis and Ruben Basurto in pickleball. Courtside is open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., with happy hour from 2 to 6 p.m.
Blackout at the Marsh, the welcome-back party, is Thursday, Oct. 29, at 6 p.m. It moves outdoors this year to the newly landscaped courtyard, with the Renee Band. Black attire is requested but not required, and registration at PelicanMarsh.com is $25 per person.
Two newer stops sit near the US 41 side. Gulfshore Business reported that Sour & Dough Artisan Bakery opened in September at 893 Vanderbilt Beach Road, Unit 58, in The Pavilion. It is next to Kava Culture, with French-inspired breads, cruffins and sandwiches, and it posted tentative soft-opening hours of 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Up the road, Naples Press reported that Just Salad opened its first area location on Sept. 1 at Granada Shoppes, 960 Immokalee Road, Suite 200. The Pavilion sits at the west end of the Vanderbilt Beach Road work zone. A morning bakery stop there will fall before the 9 a.m. start of most lane closures.
If your plans this season depend on which Pelican Marsh gate a home uses, or on how the 2027 Vanderbilt Beach Road schedule lines up with a showing or a closing, Annie Hagstrom can go through that calendar with you, entrance by entrance. Book an Appointment and we will start there.
