The state is hoping to heavily reduce the number of vehicular accidents that occur on a stretch of State Road 200 in Ocala, citing the need for medians, pedestrian beacons, and planters.
Last month, the Florida Department of Transportation held an open house to provide the public with updates on the ongoing construction along the corridor.
According to FDOT, over the ten year period from 2014 to 2023, the SR 200 corridor from I-75 to U.S Highway 301/U.S. 441 saw a total of 3,793 accidents that produced approximately 956 injuries and eight fatalities.
The state believes that the lack of medians on the roadway means there are more conflict points or places where crashes can occur.
“The addition of medians will reduce conflict points at many intersections by nearly half,” according to a representative of the company.
Center turn lanes are being replaced with raised medians to require drivers to use specific left turn cuts and u-turns at signalized intersections to reach destinations.
The state says that those crashes involved 39 bicycles with no fatalities, and 25 pedestrians with two fatalities.
Ocala-News.com archives show that several fatal accidents have taken place along SR 200 in the past few years, although many were outside of the specified corridor:
- On October 12, 2021, a 56-year-old Ocala man has died from injuries he sustained during a three-vehicle accident on State Road 200. Two men were later arrested for causing that death by street racing.
- On August 18, 2020, a pedestrian was killed when he was struck while walking along State Road 200, near its interchange with Interstate 75.
- On May 11, 2023, a 33-year-old woman from Dunnellon died after she was struck by a car that ran a red light along State Road 200.
- A 43-year-old woman was killed near the intersection of SR 200 and CR 484 on September 8, 2023.
- A 65-year-old woman was killed while driving on SR 200, near its intersection with SW 62nd Court, on November 6, 2023.
- On June 2, 2024, a teenager was killed after his motorcycle was struck at the intersection of SR 200 and SW 17th Street.
- On December 11, 2024, an 85-year-old woman was killed while she was attempting to turn onto SR 200.
The state believes that a leading contributor in fatal accidents along the corridor in question has been the lack of “median restrictions.”
Two-way left turn lanes are intended for roadways with fewer lanes and lower posted speed limits, according to the state.
The construction of the medians has led to consistent lane closures along the highway. According to the state, efforts have been made to mitigate the disruptions to traffic.
In its update, state officials also emphasized that the project includes lighting, curbs, gutters, sidewalks, and planter installations
The department says that it will begin paving operations near I-75 this spring. After paving is complete, striping and pavement markings will be added.
Sign installations and landscaping will begin this summer, and the project is estimated to be complete by later this year.