- Crawfordville Highway widening project faces delays, now expected to finish by April or May.
- Locals report ongoing traffic congestion and safety concerns.
- Watch the video to see what steps are left before the road is finished.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
The long-awaited Crawfordville Highway widening project is still in the process of being completed, and neighbors are growing more frustrated with the ongoing delays.
I’m Kenzie Krueger in Crawfordville, bringing you the latest details on the project and hearing from neighbors who drive on the highway daily.
I’ve been watching this project since the beginning, and many neighbors are eagerly anticipating the end of construction.
“It’s been taking an extremely long time,” said Robert Manning, a regular driver on the highway. “Just going from point A to point B and it shouldn’t take you that long.”
The Crawfordville Highway Widening project was designed to regulate traffic and accommodate the growing population in the area. Back in March, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) told me that the project was scheduled to be completed by the end of 2024. However, they recently informed me that the completion date is now expected to be pushed to April or May. The main reason for the delay? Inclement weather.
FDOT previously mentioned, “If the contractor does not complete the work within the scheduled contract time frame, the state has the right to collect liquidated damages for each calendar day until the work is complete.”
So far, there has been some progress. The structural asphalt was recently completed, and a new signal at the East Ivan Road intersection has been activated. In the coming weeks, both north and southbound US 319 traffic north of Woodrich Road will be split and placed on the newly constructed roadways, with one lane maintained in each direction.
While the project aims to ease traffic and improve road safety, Manning believes the current state of the road is hazardous.
“With that many cars in a condensed area, you could have more accidents,” he said.
By March 16, all traffic is expected to be placed on the newly constructed roadway north of Woodrich Road, signaling a major milestone in the project.
