Why is the signal hanging on span wires over Harbour Drive and Crayton Road still there for the 2026-27 season, after almost nine years and three separate designs? The latest plan was to have it gone before this winter.
That plan slipped. The City's bid now puts construction in the same window it was aiming for last year, which is after season, just one year later.
A Design That Changed Direction Twice
The City of Naples project page sums up the problem. The existing span-wire intersection "does not meet the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) standards for signalized intersections in the coastal zone," and FDOT had recommended an improvement project for several years. What to put there in its place is where things got complicated.
- December 2017. City Council approved staff moving ahead with a design for a modern, one-lane roundabout.
- January 2023. Council dropped the fully designed roundabout and chose mast arms with added pedestrian and bike safety features instead, according to the Gulf Shore Association of Condominiums.
- Spring 2025. The mast-arm design was finished and out for bid. Meanwhile, after a fatal pedestrian accident at the intersection in November 2024, support was growing in the neighborhood to bring back the roundabout.
- June 4, 2025. Council voted 4–3 to switch the design back to a roundabout.
- March 4, 2026. Council voted 6–0 to go ahead with final design, resiliency and utility coordination, and a request for proposals. The construction contract still needs Council approval.
The reversal began inside the neighborhood. The Moorings Property Owners Association held a Safety Town Hall on April 8, 2025, to weigh both designs, and it also surveyed its residents. GSAC reported that the survey went to more than 2,000 MPOA residents, drew 274 responses, and showed the roundabout ahead "by a significant margin." MPOA president Cliff Holland then took that result to Council. He explained the decision to the GSAC newsletter:
"After reviewing the compelling safety data of a roundabout compared to a traditional intersection coupled with over 70% support from survey respondents, we decided to pursue the roundabout option."
The detour through three designs had a real cost. After the June 2025 vote, GSAC reported, the City signed a $133,382 contract with Johnson Engineering for final roundabout design and construction-phase services, on top of the $154,123 already spent on the two earlier designs.
The Window It Missed
In November 2025, GSAC reported the target that would have made this season the first with a roundabout. Deputy City Engineer Alison Bickett said the aim was to start construction at the beginning of summer 2026, with "the goal" of finishing "prior to the next season (late 2026) provided no surprises." At that point she put the total probable cost at about $1.5 million.
That was the off-season of 2026, and it has come and gone. In April 2026, the Naples Daily News reported that the construction contract was expected to go to Council in fall 2026.
The City posted RFP 26-025, Harbour Drive & Crayton Road Roundabout and Utility Improvements on September 22, 2026. It closed October 22, 2026, with a stated project budget of $1,600,000. That figure is about $100,000 above last year's estimate.
The New Calendar, Line by Line
The bid documents describe a schedule built for one short stretch of the year. Not every date in them carries the same weight, so the table shows which ones are fixed and which are still targets.
| Milestone | Date or term | How firm it is |
|---|---|---|
| Proposals due | Oct. 22, 2026, 2:00 p.m. | Done; solicitation closed |
| Contract award | Requires a City Council vote | Not on the Nov. 4, 2026 agenda |
| Construction start | April 1, 2027 | Stated in a bidder's question; the City's answer did not restate the date |
| Substantial completion | 60 calendar days from construction notice to proceed | Contract term |
| Final completion | 90 calendar days from construction notice to proceed | Contract term |
| City's preferred finish | July 1, 2027 | Stated preference in the RFP |
The April 1 date comes from the City's October addendum. A bidder described a two-stage process, with a first notice to proceed for buying materials and a second "for construction starting 4/1/2027." The City answered that the contract clock "will commence with the construction Notice to Proceed" and that it will issue both notices in writing. It did not repeat the date. The same document notes construction starting "roughly five months after award." That lead time leaves room for materials to be ordered during season while the intersection stays as it is.
Count forward and the pieces line up. Ninety days from April 1 lands at the end of June, just before the City's July 1, 2027 target. That is the same April-to-summer gap last year's plan was aiming for, one year later.
The agenda for Council's November 4, 2026 meeting, posted October 28, did not include an award item. So the contract vote, and the start date it would confirm, are still ahead.
What Construction Is Allowed to Do to Your Drive
Driving rules are where this matters day to day. The bid documents say a complete closure of the intersection is not authorized, and any closure needs prior written approval from the City. Contractors have to submit phased temporary traffic-control plans. The RFP also says the City will favor proposals that limit disruption to traffic, businesses and property owners. Specific detours and lane-closure schedules will come from the winning contractor's phased plan.
The work covers more than a new layout of curbs. The scope includes engineering updates, utility changes and multimodal safety features, funded through the City's capital improvement program. The finished intersection is designed as a modern one-lane roundabout "with emphasis on multi-modal safety and enhanced landscaping." The City's project page cites Federal Highway Administration figures for roundabouts in general: a 35% reduction in total crashes and a 76% reduction in injury crashes. The page also links a City guide called How to Use a Roundabout, which is useful for houseguests who arrive after next summer.
The Mooring Line Drive and Crayton Road intersection is not part of this contract. The RFP's construction scope covers only Harbour and Crayton. The City's FY2026–2030 capital plan lists a separate FDOT-funded traffic signal project for "Harbor Dr & Mooring Line Dr (Crayton Road)," with $1,998,153 shown in FY2029–30.
On US-41, the Changes Arrive in Season
The Moorings' eastern edge is moving on a different clock. Most of the restaurant turnover around Coastland Center lands during season or just after it. These dates are also mostly projections.
- Atlantic Forge Mediterranean Steakhouse, 2096 Ninth St. N. The restaurant is building out the nearly 11,500-square-foot former Uncle Julio's at the mall's northwest corner, at U.S. 41 and Golden Gate Parkway. The Naples Design Review Board gave final approval on Aug. 26 for repainting the mural wall white with gold lettering, adding Italian cypress and bougainvillea, and a patio with firepit tables and a gas fireplace. Naples Press reported in late September that it is expected to open in early 2027.
- Rodizio Grill, in the former Aurelio's Pizza space at the mall. Rodizio Grill's Naples page still says "opening in 2026," with no specific date.
- Oar & Iron Raw Bar & Grill is under construction on a new outparcel in the Macy's parking lot at U.S. 41 and Fleischmann Boulevard. No opening date has been announced.
- The former Bahama Breeze, 2088 Ninth St. N., is still empty. Darden has no short-term plan for the Naples site.
- Northwestern Concierge Clinic is building out the former Dorona space at 2110 Tamiami Trail N., at the south end of the Centre Pointe retail center.
Several places have already opened. Just Salad opened in September at Naples Plaza, across from Coastland Center. Farther south on U.S. 41, Trinity Plaza added Vito's Famous Cheesesteaks in the first half of 2026. It also added La Pizzeria, which opened Sept. 1 at 304 Ninth St. N. next to Mercato Italiano. Gulfshore Business reported its hours as 4 p.m. to 1 a.m., Tuesday through Sunday.
If those projections hold, Atlantic Forge opens in early 2027, and a few months later crews start on Harbour and Crayton. Council still has to award that contract, and the City can still change the April 1 start. Until then, the span-wire signal is still running the intersection this season.
Changes to the streets around a home are part of what buyers ask about, and a roundabout with a firm completion date is a different answer from one that has been redesigned three times. If you own in The Moorings and want to know how this season's changes along Crayton Road and U.S. 41 affect what your home is worth, Kevin L Fuller will prepare a custom home valuation built on what is actually scheduled.
