Upcoming construction of a new left turn lane on Northwest 34th Street into the North Central Florida YMCA complex will cause traffic delays, but it’s also expected to improve roadway safety by 53rd Avenue.
Construction is slated to begin Tuesday and should take about two months to complete, said Laurie Windham, a spokeswoman for the project.
One lane on the street will be closed off, and construction crews will direct traffic. The lane closure will occur between 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m., according to a Department of Transportation press release.
Building the new 12-foot left turn lane will include widening the road by six feet on each side and upgrading drainage.
The purpose of the lane is to ease traffic delays in the area, she said.
Scott Chase, the aquatics director at the YMCA, said he’s seen many accidents occur in front of the complex and hopes the new lane will change that.
The $370,600 project is being built by V.E. Whitehurst & Sons Inc. of Williston.
Francisco Cubero, a 24-year-old YMCA employee, said patrons are annoyed about the upcoming traffic delays but optimistic about the safety improvements.
“A lot of them said that they would have to suffer through this a little, but it will be worth it,” Cubero said.
A version of this story ran on page 4 on 9/16/2013 under the headline "New lane on 34th to help more turn to YMCA"
