PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. -- Neighbors nicknamed a section of U.S. 19 in Palm Harbor "Death Valley" due to the high number of crashes that occur there.
The section of the highway between Curlew Road and Tampa Road sees hundreds of accidents and injuries every year. The 1.3-mile stretch of road saw 75 crashes and 74 people injured in the first five months of 2018.
Drivers worried about all the crashes may be relieved to learn changes are coming.
Pinellas County and the Florida Department of Transportation leaders are holding a workshop on Tuesday to explain to people what their future plans are.
FDOT plans to turn U.S. 19 into a six-lane highway with frontage roads in each direction. This is similar to what already was done in Clearwater and Largo. That section of the highway has no traffic lights and overpasses at major intersections.
The current plans from FDOT show there will be a new interchange at U.S. 19 and Curlew Road, but what exactly that will look like remains unclear.
The project will cost about $6.5 million. Construction is slated to start in 2020. It is just one of six projects for U.S. 19 in northern Pinellas County currently in the design phase.
FDOT and county leaders will have a meeting at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday to show the plans more in depth. The meeting is being held at Harbor Hall in Palm Harbor.
Leaders will also talk about an express bus concept plan that would link Pasco County and northern Pinellas County. You can read more about that by clicking here.
