PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. – A construction project on 54th Ave North is leading to more backups during rush hour.
What You Need To Know
The westbound right turn lane on 54th Ave N is closed at 113th St in Pinellas
Drivers say this can cause extra delays during rush hour
Pinellas County says the work is to replace the traffic light span wires with mast arms
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Late last year, crews closed the westbound right-turn lane from 54th Ave North to 113th Street.
Randy Kittle says that one lane being closed can cause a lot of delays.
“It’s just frustrating,” Kittle said. “I’ve been wondering if and when they’re going to return to finish the job.”
Kittle says he drives through the intersection several times a week. He says it can be busy on a typical day.
But with the westbound right turn lane blocked, he says there are now extra delays on 54th Ave.
“Especially later in the afternoon, during rush hour, you’ll see traffic back all the way up the hill. And you may have to wait for two-three changes of the light for traffic to move through and make your turn,” Kittle said.
So he reached out to Real-Time Traffic Expert Tim Wronka to see what’s going on there.
Pinellas County officials told him that this is a project to replace the traffic light span wires with mast arms.
The county is now making these upgrades at several intersections so traffic lights can better withstand storm damage.
Kittle understands the need but hopes that project at this intersection can be wrapped up soon.
“It would speed the traffic up moving through this intersection and there wouldn’t be such a backlog of people waiting to make that right turn,” Kittle said.
Officials say that me that the construction there is set to be done by late July.