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State to host two public meetings regarding Hernando road projects

 
Serious wrecks, such as this one in July 2015, have become commonplace at the intersection of U.S. 98 and Citrus Way.
Serious wrecks, such as this one in July 2015, have become commonplace at the intersection of U.S. 98 and Citrus Way.
Published July 6, 2017

BROOKSVILLE — The Florida Department of Transportation will be sharing information and gathering public input next week on two proposed road projects that will affect Hernando County drivers.

One is a roundabout at U.S. 98 and Citrus Way, north of Brooksville; the other is the widening of a 20-mile section of State Road 50, east from U.S. 301 in Hernando County to County Road 33 in Lake County.

The public meeting on the roundabout is from 4 to 6 p.m. Tuesday at Pasco-Hernando State College, 11415 Ponce de Leon Blvd., Brooksville.

The U.S. 98/Citrus Way intersection has become infamous for traffic accidents and fatalities. Five people were killed there in a fiery crash in 2015, and numerous wrecks have been reported there since red and flashing lights were installed in 2007.

State transportation officials made a presentation to the County Commission several months ago, touting the value of building roundabouts at troublesome spots. Roundabouts, which are circular roads at an intersection without a traffic signal, are rare in this part of Florida.

But they are considered to be a safe option because they cut down on the number of serious and fatal crashes by eliminating high-speed, T-bone or angle crashes. There have been 22 such accidents at the intersection since 2012, commissioners were told at the time.

The public meeting on the State Road 50 widening will be from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the Ridge Manor Community Center, 34240 Cortez Blvd.

The workshop will be conducted in an open-house format and will include a PowerPoint presentation that will run in a continuous loop to describe the improvements under consideration. Members of the DOT study team will attend to answer questions and collect public comments.

The widening project has been discussed for years as business leaders and community members have pushed the need for a safer east-west highway with a higher traffic capacity. Options under consideration include going from two lanes to four, going from two lanes and including sections where a third passing lane is added, or a combination of the two.

The planning, development and engineering portion of the project began in January and is expected to take approximately two years.

Contact Barbara Behrendt at bbehrendt@tampabay.com or (352) 848-1434.