OCALA — In hopes of reducing vehicle conflict points while encouraging safer driving speeds, the Florida Department of Transportation proposed enhancements to the 3.3-mile strip of State Road 200 by replacing portions of the multi-directional center lane – considered “suicide lanes” – with a raised concrete median.
In addition, the department plans to add left-turn lanes throughout the strip, which will permanently reduce crossover movements. Three pedestrian hybrid beacons will be installed to add better crossing points to walk to and from the opposite sides of the street.
According to FDOT, the project intends to prioritize the safety of drivers and pedestrians over the possibility of increased traffic on the state road strip located between Interstate Highway 75 and U.S. Highway 301.
“The project is funded by our state dollars,” said Tim Freed, the communications director for FDOT. “It's a state project.”
In addition to the enhancements, three pedestrian hybrid beacons will be installed to add better crossing points to walk to and from the opposite sides of the street.
From 2014 to 2023, there have been a total of 3,793 accidents averaging 379.3 crashes per year. Of those collisions, there were a total of 956 serious injuries and 8 fatalities.
FDOT held a public meeting recently at the College of Central Florida to discuss the plan. The meeting hosted a mix of public members and FDOT representatives, opinions were mixed among the attendees.
Gwen Peeler, a resident of Ocala, has lived here for around 50 years and was curious about the logistics of the project. She was glad to attend the meeting that shared details of the road proposal.
“I think their motivation is reasonable to get the traffic under control,” said Peeler.
The construction for the medians will be constructed in 1,000- to 1,500-foot segments to reduce traffic throughout the entire strip.
Each of the six lanes will be reduced from 12 to 11 feet and the corridor will be resurfaced to extend the life of the existing roadway.
“It's going to cause more accidents because you're going to be too close to each other,” said Bridget Smith, the elected chair for the Marion County Republican Executive Committee.
The lane reductions have made residents upset due to automotive capabilities.
“They're asking us to take U-turns when half of this town has dualies that can't make that trip,” Casey Keith, a resident of Ocala, said. “It doesn't make sense for us, being the horse capital of the world, to not be able to make a U-turn in our own city.”
Each lane on both sides of the roadway will be closed for construction, limiting traffic to only two lanes.