- April 25, 2024
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The Florida Department of Transportation is hoping to address safety and traffic issues at one of the busiest corridors in the east side of Volusia County: LPGA Boulevard, from U.S. 92 to Williamson Boulevard.
FDOT held an open house on Tuesday, Feb. 28, at the LPGA International Clubhouse, where it presented proposed improvements to the 6.2 mile corridor, including a possible redesign of the LPGA Boulevard and I-95 interchange, as part of an ongoing $3.7 million Project Development and Environment study. The project — which aims to address existing and future travel demand, as well as the needs for bicyclists and pedestrians — also includes the Tomoka River Bridge.
"The project area is experiencing unprecedented growth in recent years," FDOT stated in its presentation. "What used to be a rural area bak in the 1980s is now home to numerous major residential communities and commercial developments."
More developments, the presentation noted, are underway, and will worsen congestion if no improvements are completed.
Just east of the I-95 interchange, FDOT projects volume to reach 78,000 vehicles per day by 2050. West of the interchange, the volume is expected to reach 56,000 vehicles per day. Between 2015 and 2019, there were 927 crashes in the project area, 44% of which were rear-end crashes. Of the total crashes, 11 were fatal and six involved a pedestrian or bicyclist.
To improve the corridor, FDOT is proposing LPGA Boulevard be widened to four lanes between U.S. 92 and Tymber Creek Road, and, to six lanes between Tymber Creek Road and Williamson Boulevard and that bicycle and pedestrian facilities be added.
It's also exploring replacing and widening the Tomoka River bridge to three 11-foot lanes in each direction with left turn lanes. Currently, the bridge spans two lanes, and there are no paths for bicyclists and pedestrians.
FDOT is evaluating adding roundabouts at Welshinger-Butler Circle South and Pomona Drive near the Daytona Stadium, and, International Golf Drive and International Tennis Drive.
The I-95 interchange could be redesigned as a signalized turbine interchange. It is currently a partial cloverleaf design, according to the presentation.
"This concept offers substantial benefits over other solutions that were considered by spreading the traffic across LPGA Boulevard to improve traffic flow by splitting the corridor into separate one way pairs and providing longer storage for left turn lanes, without interfering with oncoming traffic, and reducing the number of conflict points where the ramps intersect LPGA Boulevard to enhance safety," the presentation stated. "Additionally, the signalized to turbine interchange is easier to expand in the future, since traffic will continue to grow especially west of the I-95 interchange, where undeveloped lands are rezoned to residential and mixed uses."
FDOT aims to complete its PD&E study by the fall. While the project's $7.4 million design phase has been funded, construction remains unfunded.
Visit https://www.cflroads.com/project/448456-1 to view the presentation.
