​Florida Avenue To Close For Construction Of Roundabout In Palm Harbor

PALM HARBOR, FL - Beginning early morning Tuesday, Sept. 6, eastbound and westbound Florida Avenue will close to the east of Alternate U.S. 19 (Palm Harbor Boulevard) for about four days for construction of the long-planned roundabout aimed at reducing traffic on the heavily traveled road.

All drivers traveling east and west on Florida Avenue will detour around the work zone using 11th Street, Georgia Avenue and Alternate U.S. 19. Travel lanes on northbound and southbound Alternate U.S. 19 will remain open during this temporary closure.

Advanced warning signs and electronic message boards will assist drivers traveling through the area.

This closure is necessary for crews to perform drainage installation work as part of the Alternate U.S. 19 roundabout under construction at Florida Avenue.

The $2.6 million project includes building a circular intersection in which traffic flows around a center island.

The project will also include drainage improvements, roadway resurfacing, new sidewalks, a shared-use path and landscaping.

This project is expected to finish in the summer of 2023.

The Florida Department of Transportation is actively promoting the installation of modern roundabouts throughout the state highway system due to their proven safety and operational benefits.

Studies show they reduce fatal crashes by 90 percent and crashes with serious injuries by 76 percent. Roundabouts are also shown to reduce pedestrian and bicycle crashes by 10 to 40 percent.

Additionally, said the FDOT, roundabouts are safer for beginner and elderly drivers, and they increase traffic capacity by 30 to 50 percent because there are no stop signs or traffic signals.

Roundabouts eliminate the traditional four-way intersections with traffic signals in which drivers are permitted to make left turns, where 85 percent of fatal accidents at intersections take place.

The basic operating principle of the roundabout is that traffic travels counterclockwise around a central island in the middle of the intersection at about 20 mph, and entering traffic must yield to the circulating traffic already within the roundabout.

Currently, there are about 20 roundabouts on the state highway system and more than 300 roundabouts on local roads throughout the state.

Besides reducing congestion and serious crashes, the state said the existing roundabouts have shown to have other advantages:

• Reduce pollution (from cars not waiting at traffic signals), reduce noise, reduce fuel consumption.
• Roundabout islands can be landscaped with native plants and trees
• Roundabouts generally take less land than traditional intersections since they don't require turning lanes
• They eliminate the cost and yearly maintenance of traffic signals.
• They still operate in power outages.
• They can help improve sales at nearby businesses because they allow people to more easily walk or drive to businesses.
• They serve as a marker for a business district or downtown district.