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Readers See Traffic Problems

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By HAROLD VALENTINE, The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 16, 2008

CARROLLWOOD - John Harlowe, who lives near the North Dale Mabry Highway and Fletcher Avenue intersection, is worried about traffic signals.

He wrote to the Carrollwood News & Tribune that the inside left-turn signal on westbound Fletcher "is positioned in alignment with the adjoining inside through lane" for drivers continuing westbound.
Harlowe added he has seen too many confused drivers attempt to cross the intersection when it wasn't their turn, "only to be greeted by drivers coming from the other direction turning north on Dale Mabry."

"Simply realigning the offending stop light with the appropriate turn lane would eliminate this potentially dangerous situation," Harlowe wrote.

Nancy Leach, another reader, wrote in that she frequently travels Gunn Highway and noticed a problem near Sickles High School. She said those drivers on southbound Gunn looking to turn left for the shopping center are impeding traffic. Leach writes the left-turn lane is meant for drivers turning onto eastbound Ehrlich Road and not the shopping center.

She wrote that the solution to prevent further "gridlock" is a no-left-turn sign and a barrier preventing drivers from making the turn.

Harlowe's and Leach's concerns have been relayed to the county.

Last week, Bruce Emerson wanted to know why there is no right-turn lane on southbound Himes Avenue at Hillsborough Avenue. Mike Williams, the county's manager of design and engineering support, said a project recently was completed there but was designed under the supervision of the Department of Transportation.

"The answer is because there was insufficient right-of-way to add the right-turn lane," department spokeswoman Kris Carson said." The original project in 2004 was to correct the congestion in the south leg of the intersection where adequate right-of-way existed."

In relieving congestion, not enough room was available for a right-turn lane.

Emerson also wanted to know whether plans are in place to widen Himes between Hillsborough and Waters avenues. Though Williams found several intersection projects on the horizon along Himes, he knew of no road widening.

Projects under way include:

•In Town 'N Country, Woodland Center Boulevard will have driveway and sidewalk installations until June. 6.

•On Waters Avenue between Manhattan Avenue and Sun State Street, turn lanes onto Woodland Center Boulevard from Waters are under construction between rush hours until June 6.

•In Lake Magdalene, Bearss Avenue between Winding Creek Drive and Florida Avenue is having a traffic separator built between rush hours until Feb. 29.

•Near Northdale, Verizon continues its replacement of telephone poles and wires on Hutchinson Road between Pennington and Carey roads.

•In Lutz, Lutz-Lake Fern Road from the Suncoast Parkway and Barrie Acres traffic may be slow for westbound drivers because of road resurfacing.

At the Lutz-Lake Fern Road and Boulevard of the Roses, a traffic signal mast arm and road reconstruction is expected to keep crews busy until June 22.

TRAFFIC CONCERNS?

Are there local or road issues that concern you? Construction projects you wonder about, or hazards other drivers should know about? If so, contact reporter Harold Valentine at (813) 865-1526 or hvalentine@tampatrib.com.

Reporter Harold Valentine can be reached at (813) 865-1526 or hvalentine@tampatrib.com.

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