- May 5, 2024
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It seemed to be a good decision at the time.
When the Florida Department of Transportation designed the far right-hand turn lane on State Road 70 that runs from its intersection with 87th Street and Ranch Lake Boulevard to Interstate 75, they didn't consider the Billy Currington song.
"People are crazy."
At least many are when they get behind the wheel.
On July 19, FDOT officials Walter Brueggeman, John Kubicki and Brian Bollas explained to a group of concerned Rosedale residents about the intention of the design for that stretch of road, which is just outside Rosedale's main entrance.
They talked about how the first stretch of that right-hand lane was meant for those who wanted to turn right on to Lena Road, and the second stretch of the turn lane was intended for vehicles that wanted to access the I-75 ramps. Between the Rosedale entrance at 87th Street to Lena Road is about 2/10s of a mile. Between Lena Road and the I-75 ramps is about 3/10s of a mile.
As the officials spoke about their intentions for that half mile stretch, Rosedale residents interjected with stories of near crash experiences when they used that right-hand turn lane.
"When I am coming out of Rosedale, and I turn right into that lane, cars will think I am turning (on to Lena Road) when I am actually headed toward the freeway," said Mike Zinn, president of the Rosedale Community Council. "I have seen two major accidents there already, and most of us either have seen an accident there or have been in an accident."
Most of the problem at that point is created by aggressive drivers.
The fact is that only a low percentage of drivers in that right lane actually do want to turn on Lena Road, but want to get over to the right early so they can get on I-75.
It's what responsible drivers do.
But some drivers revert to the "People Are Crazy" school of driving, and they blast down the center and left-hand lanes of westbound S.R. 70, until the last moment when they jam their vehicles to the right-hand lane to access the interstate.
It turns into a free-for-all for position.
Aggressive drivers in the right-hand turn lane know they are coming, so they tailgate to eliminate any opening.
But then there is that pesky Lena Road turn.
The Rosedale residents said they have seen cars plowed into from behind as they slowed down to turn on to Lena Road.
The temperature in the Rosedale Country Club's Community Room was going up as they talked about the design of the turn lane.
Bollas tried to assure those at the meeting that the FDOT knows that the intentions of a design don't always work as planned. Sometimes that means FDOT must find solutions.
The problem at Rosedale is that a lot is happening all at once, with plans for the Lena Road extension. And any alterations to S.R. 70 to accommodate more traffic and a better flow will be hard, and expensive.
The biggest factor, according to the FDOT representatives, is the distance between 87th Street to Lena Road, and then the interstate.
In approximately a year and a half, Manatee County plans to connect the north and south segments of Lena Road that will allow a clear shot from S.R. 70 to S.R. 64. Commissioners have talked about Lena Road becoming an important artery for local traffic when the interstate backs up.
If that plan materializes, it should be more traffic on Lena Road, which has been packed with new businesses over the past five years. Rosedale residents are concerned how all the extra traffic on Lena Road turning on to S.R. 70 is going to affect them.
Could a signal light at S.R. 70 and Lena Road solve many of the problems?
"It's really not feasible," said Brueggeman, who noted that traffic would back up into the interchange and wreak havoc on vehicles entering or exiting the interstate. "We don't necessarily have great solutions."
Kubicki noted that a signal at Lena Road and S.R. 70 would gridlock the other intersection simply because they are too close together. Many cars use the Ranch Lake turnoff to access the many businesses there, including Walmart.
Rosedale residents also brought up other safety issues for that stretch of road, when vehicles are headed east or are coming off the interstate to head east.
One resident said the signal lights on the eastbound exit off I-75 are very hard to see. Another talked about how once on S.R. 70, vehicles going east that want to make a left on to Lena Road have to cross four lanes of traffic.
The FDOT officials said they would study all the issues brought up to see if they could find any solutions.
Kubicki deals with safety issues for the FDOT and he said the organization always is trying to reduce the possibility a vehicle will take a hit to its side, which are the most dangerous. The eastbound S.R. 70 left-hand turn onto Lena Road in front of speeding cars is an example.
The FDOT officials won't be the only ones going to the blackboard after the July 19 meeting. Manatee County Public Works representatives also attended the meeting.
Rosedale residents gave them some important topics to think about as well. For one, with so many new businesses being built on Lena Road and the north-south portions of the road expected to be connected in under two years, residents are worried that traffic, and especially heavy truck traffic, will be buzzing past their 87th Street entrance/exit into their community.
Anyone going south on Lena Road who wants to drive east on S.R. 70, must take a left onto 54th Drive East, which is a short connector road between Lena and 87th Street. Then they can use the S.R. 70/87th Street intersection signal.
Scott May, an engineer for the county, assured the residents the idea is to prohibit heavy truck traffic on that stretch of road. That seemed to appease many of them.
Manatee County has two different projects that will impact Rosedale, the 44th Avenue extension and the Lena Road extension. May said the 44th Avenue extension in that area will be finished before the two legs of Lena Road are connected.
He said vehicles are likely to use the new 44th Avenue extension as a main thoroughfare, making it unlikely the south end of Lena Road will see a significant increase in traffic.
May was asked if it made sense to alter the direction of the south end of Lena Road, having it take over 54th Drive East, then swing right in front of the Rosedale entrance to use the traffic signal on S.R. 70. That would eliminate the S.R. 70/Lena Road connection 2/10s of a mile to the west.
May said it didn't make sense to think up a bunch of solutions for heavy traffic problems before knowing if they would even exist. He said the county would evaluate the situation once the 44th Avenue and Lena Road extensions were complete to access any needed changes.
"We would rather see than just react," May said. "We have lots of options."
Whether other exit/entrance points become necessary or make sense for Rosedale remains to be seen.
Rosedale's Fred Booth, who is the head of the Lena Road and 44th Ave Extension Committee, said while no solutions to any of the problems were figured out at the meeting, positive strides were made.
"The good thing is (FDOT and Manatee County officials) are hearing us," Booth said. "I need to have faith in that."
Booth said he was pleased both FDOT and Manatee County sent multiple representatives to the meeting, a sign they are serious about finding solutions.
May suggested to those in attendance that they follow the CIP on the county's website because it is updated often with any changes made to the road projects.
Bollas noted that 60,000 to 70,000 vehicles a day use the S.R. 70 interchange with I-75.
"We don't want to solve one problem and create another," Bollas said. "We will go back and look at this one more time."
He also noted that on- and off-season traffic is much different and must be studied as well.
