Hillsborough County is now taking a look at what can be done to make three very congested Brandon roads safer and easier to use.
They are focused on the area surrounding Brandon’s three major east-west corridors: Brandon Boulevard/SR 60, Lumsden Road, and Bloomingdale Avenue. These major roads experience a lot of congestion and have several crash hot spots, county leaders said.
The Brandon area already has more than 100,000 people, according to transportation planners. As the area continues to grow, the roads could only get more congested.
Hillsborough County is also asking for your input on what they can do to make these roads safer. They also want to make sure that new development works best with whatever transportation and road upgrades may be happening in the next 20 years. TAKE THE SURVEYhere to weigh in.
DANGEROUS ROADS
Hillsborough County has already found several problem intersections along these roads. One of the most dangerous intersections is at SR 60 and Valrico, where they found there were 95 severe crashes over a five-year period.
This is the same place where Christina Marie Price lost her life crossing the road in 2011.
Other problem areas include Bloomingdale Avenue from Providence to Bell Shoals Road, with 74 severe crashes over a five-year period.
IMPROVEMENTS ON THE WAY
They are now trying to find more feasible transportation improvements along the major east-west corridors. This includes widening some roads, adding buffered bike lanes to protect cyclists and in some cases, adding turn and through lanes to congested intersections.
Hillsborough County is already planning to widen Bell Shoals Road from Bloomingdale to Boyette Road to four lanes.
There are also plans to add some additional turn lanes and through lanes to place where Lithia Pinecrest, Lumsden and Durant Road meet.
Improvements have already happened at Bloomingdale and Culbreath Road, where turn lanes have been installed, workers improved lighting, improved traffic flow and upgraded pedestrian signals and crosswalks.
The Brandon Corridors and Mixed-Use Centers Pilot Project is a joint study of the Hillsborough Metropolitan Planning Organization for Transportation (MPO) and the Planning Commission.
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