Actions

Drivers calling out dangerous intersection to make left-hand turns in South Hillsborough County

Posted at 7:18 PM, Oct 03, 2018
and last updated 2018-10-04 03:08:05-04

Drivers calling out what they call a dangerous intersection to make left-hand turns in Southeastern Hillsborough County. 

Action Air One captured drivers being forced in between two medians during the morning commute along Gibsonton Drive and Fern Hill Drive.

Crash data from Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles shows from January of 2017 to now, there have been around 60 crashes around the Fern Hill Drive intersection. 

The concern for drivers is that Fern Hill is becoming a frequent route for drivers to get to Gibsonton Drive, which is a main artery to Interstate 75. 

Drivers are forced to make a left hand turn across five lanes of oncoming traffic in two different directions. 

Chase Combs tells ABC Action News his family has lived right near the intersection for decades, and the intersection scares him every day.

"Every time," he said, "you have to go into the median right there and it’s hard to get across."

A spokesperson for Hillsborough County tells us they have plans to put in a stoplight and add pedestrian signals on all four corners of the intersection. 

The construction is planned to begin in 2021. 

Combs said that's a concern with the growth around the Riverview area, with more developments going up along Fern Hill Drive. 

ABC Action News reached out to public works for a timeframe for the traffic light to be completed: 

  • Project Development – current phase of project development is projected to be completed by the end of January 2019.
  • Design/Permitting/Land Acquisition – currently projected to be completed by the end of June 2020
  • Contractor Procurement/Construction Start – following a competitive procurement and contractor award by 2021.