Michael Connors was in the passenger seat one morning earlier this year with his wife driving their normal, everyday path in southwest Alachua County when a vehicle pulled out in front of their car.
It nearly broadsided them, as Connors’ wife Claudette swerved, avoiding a potential collision.
The Connors were driving south on Southwest 122nd Street, also known as Parker Road, in the left turn lane to travel east onto Southwest 24th Avenue. The vehicle at the Southwest 24th Avenue stop sign began pulling forward to turn left and quickly stopped halfway in the intersection.
“Thankfully, we didn't get T-boned or suffer any damage or injury,” Connors said. “The other vehicle stopped just in time, halfway in the intersection. So, from a traffic ticket point of view, I guess they failed to yield our right-of-way.”
The Connors live in Haile Plantation, a few miles east of the intersection, and typically drive through it between six to eight times per day, going to the gym, work and to take care of horses they board in Newberry. The commute has made them familiar with the intersection and affirmed their belief that changes should be made.
“It needs to be signalized,” he said. “It's way too busy, and with people who are poor drivers, not paying attention or who don't care, it can be very dangerous.”
The county — after years of incidents even worse than what the Connors experienced — is adding a traffic light and turning lane improvements to this intersection in fall 2025.
This is the full plan, according to Ramon D. Gavarrete, the public works director for Alachua County Public Works:
- Travel lanes will be slimmed from 12 feet to 11 feet, and turning lanes will be altered to 10 feet.
- The northbound right turn lane will be added to the east side of Parker Road.
- The Southwest 24th Avenue left turn lane will be extended.
Adding a traffic light to this intersection has been in the works for years. Five years ago, the county set a budget of $400,000 for the project.
Now, the actual price of the project is estimated to be $1.5 million. Gavarette said the cost could increase if the design cannot be modified to avoid Clay Electric improvements.
“That was a very preliminary estimate before any design plans were done. Once the design plans were completed and we got the engineer's estimate, we realized that the estimate itself was going to be way higher than the $400,000,” Gavarrete said.
Another aspect that could delay the project is the nearby electric line. In order for the traffic signal to be added, Clay Electric has to bury the lines.
“That cable is way too close to where the signal pole is going to be. It's not safe,” Gavarrete said, adding that Clay will first bury the cable before intersection work begins.
This crossing is known for tragic crashes, some deadly. Most recently, a 78-year-old woman was killed at this intersection in June 2024. She was driving east on Southwest 24th Avenue when she collided with the side of a pickup truck driving west, pulling a trailer.
In 2021, a man died and left a woman critically injured as he crashed into a dump truck at this intersection. The man was turning left onto Southwest 122nd Street as he pulled into the truck driving northbound on 122nd Street.
At the site of the crash, a memorial represents the people who died. Seven flower bouquets and four crosses are planted off the road of the intersection.
Implementing a traffic light at this intersection will lessen the chances of teenagers crashing, as more schools now surround this area. Myra Terwilliger Elementary opened a mile south in 2021. The Queen of Peace Catholic Academy, The Rock School and Lawton Chiles Elementary School all lie within a three-minute drive east on Southwest 24th Avenue.
The Oakmont housing development, just southeast of the intersection, continues to expand and is expected to have 1,000 houses once fully built out.
In short, the road gets congested during prime rush hour times, and having a traffic light will help the flow of vehicles.
In 2022, a vehicle driving on 122nd Street hit a teenager. The impact flipped her SUV. The teenager’s parents were concerned for other teenagers, as more schools and homes develop around this road.
A handful of churches are also close to this intersection. Amber Livingston is the connection director for the Family Church, located directly to the north. She believes adding a traffic light will help with the safe flow of traffic.
“As it's just being more developed in this area,” she said, “having a traffic light will probably be beneficial.”