MANATEE CO. Fla.-- Some major changes are coming to make an east Manatee County roadway safer after the deaths of two Lakewood Ranch High School students.
The Florida Department of Transportation is cutting off a turning-lane on State Road 64 to prevent another tragedy.
Sandy Purcell has lived off SR 64 for the past 20 years and said it's been dangerous as long as she can remember.
Purcell said the deaths of two students a few weeks ago don't surprise her.
“With this left turn lane here, you can’t see the inner lane coming at you. It has been a tragedy,” Purcell said.
Chase Coyner,17, and Matthew Powers,15, died in a crash as they went to turn left onto Pope Road from SR 64.
The two teens were heading to their homecoming dance.
FDOT classified this intersection as dangerous and is closing the left-turn lane on to Pope Road.
Purcell said she thinks it’s a good idea.
“We’ve had a lot of tragedies on this road," Purcell said.
According to FDOT, there have been 29 crashes at the Pope Road and State Road 64 intersection between 2012-2016.
The state’s solution is to keep the turn lane closed until a roundabout is added in 2023. That roundabout will be similar to one planned east of there at Lorraine and Rye Road.
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Purcell said she thinks the roundabouts are a bad idea.
"That’s a crazy solution, putting three roundabouts in a row. This is the main thoroughfare east-west. You’ll have a lot more traffic. It would slow up traffic too much," Purcell said.
Purcell said there are other solutions to making the road safer. She said those include slowing down the growth out of the east.
“People are careless, they’re in a hurry," Purcell said.
FDOT expects to finish closing off the turn lane at Pope Road and State Road 64 by Tuesday
To read more about roundabouts click on the FDOT website.
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