Construction to improve road safety has begun on Palm Beach Boulevard in Fort Myers.

The Florida Department of Transportation is installing new hybrid pedestrian beacons to address the high number of crashes in the area.

Lee County has reported 10,343 crashes so far this year, with 252 involving pedestrians or cyclists.

Neighbors have long called for improvements along Palm Beach Boulevard due to safety concerns for pedestrians and bicyclists.

FDOT plans to install pedestrian highway beacons at six intersections along nearly three miles of Palm Beach Boulevard.

The six intersections are: 

SR 80 (Palm Beach Blvd.) West of Pine StreetSR 80 (Palm Beach Blvd.) West of Fairview AvenueSR 80 (Palm Beach Blvd.) East of Prospect AvenueSR 80 (Palm Beach Blvd.) East of Waverly AvenueSR 80 (Palm Beach Blvd.) East of Carolina AvenueSR 80 (Palm Beach Blvd.) West of Kingston Drive 

FDOT stated that overnight lane closures of the interior eastbound and westbound traffic lanes will occur from 7:30 p.m. to 6 a.m. during the construction period.

A memorial stands where a 14-year-old boy was hit and killed by a driver in May while riding his bike across Palm Beach Boulevard.

The boy was not using a crosswalk at the time.

The hope is that the new pedestrian hybrid beacons will help people cross the street safely and make drivers more aware of their surroundings.

The pedestrian beacons are a unique traffic signal featuring two red lights on top and a yellow light underneath.

They remain off when not in use, allowing drivers to pass through without stopping.

When someone presses the crosswalk button, the beacon flashes yellow, then turns solid yellow to alert drivers to slow down.

The light changes to solid red, requiring drivers to stop while pedestrians cross safely.

When the light flashes red, drivers must stop but can proceed if the street is clear.

FDOT believes these beacons are effective for roads with three or more lanes and speeds over 35 mph, like Palm Beach Boulevard.

According to FDOT, pedestrian hybrid beacons can reduce pedestrian crashes by 55%, total crashes by 29%, and fatal and serious injury crashes by 15%.

WINK News has reached out to FDOT for an update on when the beacons will be operational and will continue to monitor the situation to see if pedestrian habits change with the new safety measures in place.