Officials with State of Florida Department of transportation are taking short-term action after a tragic weekend on area roads — including five fatalities across two accidents about 10 miles apart on SR-82.
“It’s tough any time you see the loss of a human life and especially even more so when children are involved as well. So our hearts go out to the family. It’s tough on us, it’s tough on everyone here and I can only imagine what the families are going to go through,” said Lt. Greg Bueno, FHP.
“They need to be out there writing citations for drivers who aren’t acting safely,” said Zachary Burch, of the Florida Department of Transportation. “Believe me, you’d much rather get a ticket than you would have what happened last night.?”
Barch said the agency has made some improvements, including some turn lanes added at key intersections. And some more noticeable construction — widening, medians and sidewalks — will begin over the next several months. But they’ll take years to complete.
In the long run, Burch said, FDOT will spend near $200 million.
“These projects take time,” he said. “We have to design them. We have to buy right of way, and then we have to construct them.”
In the meantime, FDOT will look at the speed limits and see if they’re appropriate for the area. The traffic study, Burch said, will take a few months.
For a breakdown of the widening projects planned on SR-82, go to www.sr82design.com.
it’s great to try and improve traffic safety by increasing traffic lanes and reducing speed limits and trying to bring awareness to drivers – BUT – it just seems that people won’t slow down and take an extra minute to reach their destination – it’s really hard to fix STUPID
The basic problem with 82 is that there is too much high speed traffic on 82 and then you compound the problem of people trying to merge onto 82 from side streets by pull out in front of high speed cars. Sometimes they make it and sometimes they don’t. Just drive down 82 either direction and you will see this happen multiple times. 82 should have been made into a 6 lanes years ago
I’m responding to this comment you made.
“They need to be out there writing citations for drivers who aren’t acting safely,” said Zachary Burch, of the Florida Department of Transportation. “Believe me, you’d much rather get a ticket than you would have what happened last night.?”
How are sheriff and State Police going to pull over people on a 2 lane road with no shoulders and going at high speeds? I have lived down here for almost 10 years and that road is NOT SAFE!!! I have missed numerous accidents because of other drivers crossing over double yellow and them using turning lanes as passing lanes. They need to stop waiting for a development to come in and just widen the damn road.