The new roundabout at Fiddlesticks Boulevard and Old Fiddlesticks Boulevard leads into the Publix shopping center. North of it, Three Oaks Parkway now runs all the way to Daniels Parkway. Cars began using the stretch from Alico Road to Daniels on November 3, 2026, the day after a ribbon cutting that drew about 120 people, including elected officials, first responders, neighbors and local business owners.
Lee County says the roadway opened nearly 18 months ahead of its original mid-2028 schedule. That early opening is the main story in the coverage, but it describes only the new pavement between Alico and the canal crossing. At the Daniels Parkway end, three separate projects are on three separate schedules, and the latest of them runs through summer 2028. The new road is finished. The intersection it feeds into will be under construction for a while yet.
What opened at the Fiddlesticks end
The new section is a four-lane divided road with two 11-foot travel lanes in each direction. It has a 5-foot bike lane and a 6-foot sidewalk on each side, plus a median that is 14 to 18 feet wide. WGCU reported that the project was built in two phases with two contractors:
- Phase One, from north of Alico Road to the Fiddlesticks Canal near Indian Paint Lane. It cost about $26.8 million and was built by Wright Construction Group. On this segment the west sidewalk is 8 feet wide.
- Phase Two, from Indian Paint Lane to Daniels Parkway. It cost about $39.7 million and was built by ECH Construction.
Together, the two phases come to roughly $66.5 million. WGCU also described the finished corridor as the third direct route between Naples and Fort Myers, after I-75 and US 41. Lee County Communications Director Betsy Clayton told WGCU that the early opening came from the county, contractors, designers and inspection team "working together to avoid any significant construction delays," and added that "good planning, a well thought out design and great weather also helped."
The bike lanes and sidewalks matter as much as the car lanes. Dave Wheaton, a cyclist who lives nearby, told WINK News that biking through the area used to be terrifying. "I'm sure there'll be plenty of traffic here, but they made nice big lanes for everybody, sidewalk if you want to get on it," he said.
Three schedules meet at Daniels Parkway
Officials timed the opening to arrive "just in time for season," WINK reported, with the aim of moving local trips off I-75. Those trips now reach Daniels Parkway, where this is the status of the work:
| Project | Who is building it | Status this November | Expected finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Three Oaks Parkway Extension punch list | Lee County | Contractors still on site after opening | Early 2027 |
| Daniels Parkway eight-lane widening, Danport Boulevard to Apaloosa Lane/Powers Court | Lee County | Widened, but all eight lanes open only after final paving and striping | Part of county work finishing early 2027 |
| Three Oaks Parkway/Palomino Lane intersection at Daniels | Lee County | Improvement and restriping still to come | Part of county work finishing early 2027 |
| I-75 at Daniels Parkway, Exit 131 diverging diamond | FDOT | Under construction | Summer 2028 |
The eight-lane section of Daniels is the clearest example of the gap between built and open. According to Lee County's pre-opening notice, the road has been widened from Danport Boulevard to Apaloosa Lane/Powers Court, but the full eight lanes won't carry traffic until final paving and striping are done. The county's post-opening announcement still lists the Palomino intersection and the widening as work ahead. WINK's opening-day story said the same: "more work remained to finish connecting the extension to Daniels Parkway."
Daily driving shows the effect. In an earlier WINK report, a Daniels Park resident described left turns out of the neighborhood that cross several lanes, with construction trucks blocking the view of oncoming traffic. She asked the county to consider a "block the box" marking. WINK said the county expects the Daniels widening and FDOT's interchange work, taken together, to reduce backups near that neighborhood. That relief depends on both projects, and the second one runs much longer.
Exit 131 is the longest-running project
FDOT is rebuilding the I-75 interchange at Daniels Parkway as a diverging diamond. The approximately $42.8 million project covers I-75 just north and south of Daniels, plus Daniels itself from east of Danport Boulevard to west of Treeline Avenue. The work includes rebuilt ramps, new ramp signals, pedestrian and bicycle accommodations through the interchange, and resurfacing of Daniels through the project area. Construction began in early 2026 and is estimated to finish in summer 2028.
The project's west limit, east of Danport Boulevard, is about where the county's eight-lane widening begins at Danport. On a map, the two projects nearly touch. The county work around Three Oaks and Palomino is scheduled to wrap up in early 2027, while the state work just east of it continues for roughly another year and a half. FDOT's current road watch lists earthwork, ramp construction and relocation of traffic cameras at the interchange. Northbound I-75 traffic has been shifted toward the median, and the northbound on-ramp is running on a temporary ramp. FDOT has posted short explainer videos on how a diverging diamond works, in English and Spanish, for anyone who wants to learn the new movements before the interchange opens.
Farther south, I-75 work is still being planned
Three Oaks is meant to be the alternative to I-75, and I-75 has its own long project coming. FDOT's I-75 improvements from north of Golden Gate Parkway at Exit 105 to south of Alico Road at Exit 128 cover 21 miles in Collier and Lee counties. The proposals include two express lanes in each direction from Golden Gate Parkway to Corkscrew Road, a new diverging diamond at Immokalee Road, and auxiliary lanes between interchanges. Public hearings were held October 27 in Naples and October 28 online, WGCU reported.
As of a November 1 report in Marco Island's News, the resurfacing, the express lanes between Golden Gate and Corkscrew, and the Immokalee diverging diamond had been approved, and work on them was expected to begin later in 2026. FDOT had not made final decisions on the auxiliary lanes. WINK has reported that construction is expected to take about four years.
Put together, these schedules say a lot about Three Oaks Parkway. It opened 18 months early, while the interstate it parallels is about to begin years of construction. The county is finishing first and the state is still underway, so for the next few years the extension carries much of the corridor's north-south traffic. It ends at Daniels Parkway, where the paving and striping are still unfinished.
Using the corridor this season
The project details point to a few practical takeaways for anyone who drives, bikes or shops along this stretch through the end of 2026:
- The Fiddlesticks roundabout is the new way into the Publix shopping center at Fiddlesticks Boulevard and Old Fiddlesticks Boulevard.
- Bike lanes and sidewalks run the full length of the new section, so cyclists and pedestrians have a continuous route between Alico Road and Daniels Parkway.
- Daniels Parkway still has fewer than eight open lanes between Danport Boulevard and Apaloosa Lane/Powers Court until final paving and striping are complete.
- Northbound I-75 at Daniels runs on a temporary on-ramp while the Exit 131 rebuild continues toward its summer 2028 finish.
Lee County posts construction updates at ThreeOaksExtension.com, and the ribbon cutting is on the county's YouTube channel. FDOT posts updates on the interchange at SWFLRoads.com.
Daily routes matter in a home search, and roads like Three Oaks change which addresses feel close to the airport, to Estero and to Naples. If you're weighing a move along the Daniels or Alico corridors, or you're thinking about how these projects affect a home you already own in south Fort Myers, Haven Group can walk you through the timelines. Contact us for a private consultation.