BRANDON, Fla. — Peggy Hayes doesn’t have to look hard to see how much Brandon has changed since she moved there in the ‘80s.
“All of Florida, but this has really gotten a lot busier,” she said. “A lot more traffic.”
According to Hayes, that volume of traffic makes two intersections on Lumsden Road near her home dangerous.
“You know, and I walk a lot too, so it’s dangerous walking, biking, everything,” said Hayes.
As for driving, she said it can be impossible to make left turns onto the busy six-lane Lumsden because neither intersection has a traffic light.
“You can’t get out, and then you get, you know, ‘I gotta get out. I gotta get out.’ And people pull out and cause accidents,” she said.
Back in May, other drivers contacted our Driving Tampa Bay tip line with the exact same concern.
Now, Hillsborough County has an answer. The county is planning a $3.7 million fix that will include traffic lights at both intersections and several other improvements:
- Extending the existing eastbound left-turn lane at Heather Lakes Boulevard/Kensington Ridge Boulevard.
- Extending the existing westbound left-turn lane at Heather Lakes Boulevard/Paddock Club Drive.
- Upgrade pedestrian facilities on all four quadrants of both intersections, including:
- Retrofitting for Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) improvements to provide services that improve access for all roadway users.
- Adding/reconstructing sidewalks, pedestrian curb ramps, and crosswalks.
“I’m all for it,” Hayes said. “It’s way past due.”
But before it moves forward, Hillsborough County wants to make sure others are all for it too. Oct. 31 is the last day to send the county feedback through its online portal. You can leave your comment at this link.
According to the county's website, construction of the improvements is scheduled to begin in early 2023 and is expected to be complete by early 2024.
