August 28, 2024
State Road 19 in Eustis Set for Major Safety Enhancements to Protect Drivers and Pedestrians
By Kyle Coppola
State Road 19 in Eustis Set for Major Safety Enhancements to Protect Drivers and Pedestrians
The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) will begin two road improvement projects on State Road (SR) 19 near Downtown Eustis. These projects include enhancements to improve roadway and safety conditions for drivers and pedestrians.
FDOT spokesperson Joe Callahan of the Communications Team said motorists can expect some traffic impacts, occasional lane closures and detours over the course of the two projects, which will run concurrently and are expected to be complete in fall 2025.
The $12.4 million projects are intended to improve safety between Stevens Avenue and County Road 452, according to FDOT, by upgrading multiple intersections within the SR 19 corridor and resurfacing the roadways. The road is split along this section, with the northbound portion known as Grove Street and the southbound portion known as Bay Street.
Improvements to the roadways include constructing raised intersections to reduce vehicle speed on Grove Street at Magnolia and Gottsche Avenues, and on Bay Street at Magnolia, MacDonald, and Clifford Avenues. Additional work includes reconstructing and extending curbs to promote safe turning speeds and reconstructing traffic signals at Orange Avenue and at Clifford Street.
The project will also add shared lane markers on Grove Street and Bay Street. These markers will denote a shared lane for cyclists and motorists. Upgraded lighting, drainage, landscaping, signs, striping, and pavement markings will be included. FDOT recently installed Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons and additional pedestrian crossing signage on both Grove and Bay Streets.
According to FDOT, construction activities are expected during the day and night. Traffic may also be shifted to allow crews to perform construction activities safely. Weekly closures and additional project information can be found on the project webpage at //www.cflroads.com/project/445297-1. Electronic message boards and other signage will help motorists navigate the work zone. Business and pedestrian access will be maintained.
The City of Eustis will notify residents of lane closures and detours on www.eustis.org and on the city’s social media pages throughout the project.
Photo Credit – Flickr/Steven Martin
Kyle Coppola was born in Newton, Massachusetts and received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Communications from Curry College in 2016. After traveling to Florida on a family vacation, he decided he could not get enough of the warm weather and made the move from snowy Massachusetts to central Florida 8 years ago.
For the last decade Kyle has gained valuable experience in social media content creation, marketing and sales, writing, video production, sports announcing and even broadcasting for local radio stations, such as FM 102.9 in The Villages and FM 91.5 in Massachusetts. Every year he volunteers at The Villages Charter High School as a play-by-play sports announcer for the football games as well as a public address announcer for the basketball games, including the annual Battle at The Villages Tournament.
Outside the office Kyle is a husband and father to two beautiful girls along with their cat. In his spare time he likes to spend time with his family, travel, play golf and swim. He is also a huge sports junkie and even bigger motorsports fan and loves to attend racing events when he can.
