County Road 846 (Florida)

County Road 846 (CR 846) is a 54 mi county road in northern Collier County and western Hendry County in Southwest Florida. It primarily connects the Naples area with the agricultural area of Immokalee. A vast majority of the road in Collier County is named Immokalee Road and it is a major commuter route.

North Naples to Immokalee
CR 846 begins at CR 901 (Vanderbilt Drive) in North Naples near Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park. From here, it heads east as a two-lane road along 111th Avenue for before coming to an intersection with US Highway 41 (US 41, Tamiami Trail). At US 41, it becomes Immokalee Road and expands into a major six-lane roadway. It continues east through North Naples and intersects with CR 851 (Goodlette-Frank Road) and CR 31 (Airport-Pulling Road), both of which head south into central Naples. Further east, it intersects CR 881 (Livingston Road), a major road linking Collier and Lee counties before coming to an interchange with Interstate 75 (I-75).

Beyond I-75, it intersects CR 951 (Collier Boulevard) as it heads into rural Collier County. At Orangetree, it turns north and is reduced to a two-lane rural road and then turns east again as it passes Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary. Just north of Ave Maria, it turns north again and enters Immokalee along First Street. It passes the Seminole Casino Immokalee and expands to four lanes before coming to an intersection with State Road 29 (SR 29), the main road through Immokalee.

East of Immokalee
At SR 29 in Immokalee, there is a brief gap in the route. CR 846 resumes at SR 29 2 mi east near Immokalee Regional Airport and heads east as a two-lane road. It passes through more agricultural areas before crossing into Hendry County. In Hendry County, CR 846 continues east 9 mi before turning north and terminating near Dinner Island Ranch Wildlife Management Area, which is located about 20 mi southwest of Clewiston. It terminates at CR 833, a route connecting Hendry County and Broward County.

History
The first segment of what would become CR 846 was built in the late 1940s from Immokalee east to the Hendry County line. It would be added to the state highway system and designated as SR 846. By 1956, SR 846 was complete to its eastern terminus at SR 833 (present-day CR 833).

The first segment of the route west of Immokalee, which extended from Immokalee to a point near Oil Well Grade Road, was built in 1955. By 1958, the route was extended west to US 41 (Tamiami Trail) in North Naples. Upon its completion, the segment west of Immokalee was initially known as the Naples Immokalee Highway before becoming known as Immokalee Road.

SR 846 would also provide access to Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, which opened its first boardwalk in 1956. Sanctuary Road, the main entrance road to the sanctuary, was originally designated SR 846A before being redesignated SRv849 in 1976.

By 1973, the SR 846 designation was extended west from US 41 along 111th Avenue to Vanderbilt Drive. A 9 mi segment of SR 846 from Immokalee west was rebuilt with wider lanes in 1977.

The interchange between Immokalee Road and I-75 opened in 1981 when the first segment of the freeway opened in Collier County.

SR 846 became CR 846 in the mid-1980s, when the full route was relinquished to county control. Immokalee Road was widened to four lanes between US 41 and I-75 in the early 1990s. It was widened to four lanes from I-75 east to CR 951 (Collier Boulevard) in 2002. Immokalee Road from Oil Well Road (CR 858) west to US 41 would be widened to six lanes by 2008.