Hillsborough County is proposing two big changes to busy Valrico intersections. At a recent public meeting, plans to improve Durant Rd. at its intersections with Dover and Little Roads and Miller Rd. with roundabouts were presented to residents.
The goal of the improvements, which have a budget of $2.9 million, is to improve safety and traffic flow. In addition to the roundabouts, the improved intersections will enhance pedestrian connectivity with adjacent sidewalks.
“These intersections, both currently four-way stops, were adding congestion in the Durant corridor,” said Hillsborough County Senior Media Relations Strategist Chris Wilkerson. “A study showed that roundabouts are the traffic solution that fit this neighborhood best.”
The design phase for these Capital Improvement Projects is scheduled for completion this fall with procurement expected in the spring of 2020. Construction is scheduled to begin in the summer of 2020.
“Roundabouts allow for continuous movement so that traffic can move through the intersection without backing up,” said Wilkerson. “They work best in intersections with traffic coming for all sides and both of these intersections are ideal candidates for a roundabout solution.”
According to Wilkerson, roundabouts have a lot of benefits.
“They are safer than intersections with traffic signals and cut fatal crashes down to almost zero percent,” he said. “Roundabouts are more resilient in that they continue to operate smoothly without power in the case of a storm. They are more environmentally sustainable because cars are not idling, a major cause of pollution, like they do at traffic signals.”
Residents who attended a public meeting hosted by the county late last month at Mulrennan Middle School were able to see and comment on the design plans and learn more about the reasoning behind the proposal.
“Roundabouts are not the solution at every intersection,” said Wilkerson. “But because of the traffic counts along Durant, they are the perfect solution for these two intersections.”
For info on the project, visit www.HCFLGov.net/CountyProjects.
