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Dangerous Port Richey-area Intersection Changes Planned
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Published: September 17, 2008
PORT RICHEY - Embassy Boulevard might be turning over a new leaf with changes to prohibit many left turns in the block west of Little Road.
The corner ranked No. 2 in a road safety audit survey of 10 accident-prone locations in Pasco. Ridge Road at Sterling Lane topped the list.
With improvements now finished on Ridge Road, drivers could soon see the redesign of Embassy in the block between Little Road and Morehead Lane.
The spot averaged 16.5 rear-end crashes a year, James Widman, Pasco's engineering services director, wrote in a May memo. The intersection also racked up 6.4 angle crashes per year and 2.9 left-turn crashes.
Right now, drivers can turn left out of many driveways, from a shopping center anchored by a Sweetbay Supermarket on the southwest corner and a gasoline station on the northwest corner.
Once changes are made, drivers will be allowed to turn right only out of the shopping center exit closest to Little Road. The service station exit on the opposite corner also will lose left-turn privileges.
That will allow engineers to lengthen the left-turn lane for eastbound Embassy drivers wanting to turn onto northbound Little.
No U-turns will be permitted along Embassy at Morehead, plans show.
In addition, signs will be put up along all four corners of Embassy and Little to warn drivers that "Turning Traffic MUST Yield to Pedestrians." Large white stripes will be painted onto the pavement to indicate the walkways.
The improvements are relatively inexpensive. The entire cost is estimated at $29,000, with Florida Department of Transportation providing $20,900 in materials. The county will supply the signs, pavement markings and labor.
The Embassy left-turn lanes will be created with Qwick Kurb, the product from the Ruskin-based firm of the same name. The curbing bolts into the pavement as a less expensive alternative to pouring concrete.
The project didn't get any comments at a public workshop in April. County commissioners gave permission to go ahead with the changes in June.
Carl Orth can be reached at 727-815-1068 or corth@suncoastnews.com.
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