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| District 1 citizens attempting to enter Sorrento Road from Doug Ford Drive will soon see something like this at the intersection---allowing for safe egress for these drivers |
Many people have worked for many years to get a light at Doug Ford Drive and Sorrento Road. I've spoken countless times to FDOT, been on the scene with residents, discussed it at TPO meetings, and sent this letter to FDOT District 3 Secretary Phillip Gainer in early July. I had the opportunity to meet with Secretary Gainer and FDOT secretary Jared Perdue again just this last Monday at NAS Pensacola. And the light at Sorrento and Doug Ford was discussed again.
I've brough it dozens of times now, like a broken record.
We now, as of today, have confirmation of what was rumored to have been true late last week.
FDOT has completed its latest signal warrant study on the Doug Ford Drive at Sorrento Road Intersection and the signal there is warranted.
In the past, studies have come back and such a signal has not been found to have been necessary.
But the most recent study has come back recommending a signal.
This location, where Perdido Bay Country Club exits onto Sorrento Road, is a jam packed roadway for traffic going to and from Perdido Key. Often the scene of wrecks--residents have reported to me over and over the difficulty in getting out onto Sorrento Road--especially if making a left (heading eastbound) on Sorrento.
Many simply make right turns then go into the Winn Dixie parking lot down the street to turn around safely and head eastbound.
So this light will serve to allow residents to safely exit this subdivision/country club and will also serve to slow down traffic that sometimes (oftentimes) comes speeding around this corner on the way to or from the beach.
A light at this intersection will also make it safer to make a left turn into the Perdido Bay Country Club from the west on Sorrento Road heading eastbound--which currently is very dangerous.
In addition to this light at Doug Ford and Sorrento--I am also told by staff that "...the striping along Sorrento Road will have an auditory profile to warn motorists of lane departures. These were previously included on Bauer to Blue Angel.....they are now included from Innerarity to Bauer [as well]."
This week I will work with county traffic staff and FDOT to see if this signal can be added to the currently underway project on Sorrento that FDOT is doing. If this can be done it will save tax dollars while also speeding up the completion of this signal.
There will be much more good news on Sorrento Road this week on Thursday. I plan on bringing a plan to the BCC to fund the PD&E for Sorrento Road's 4-lane widening plan--which will serve to shave as much as five years off of the timeline for us to completed this desperately needed widening project in District 1.
Much more to come on that later in the week.
22 comments:
This is EXCELLENT news! I know I've been playing Frogger at this intersection since 2011 and it's scary as hell! I can't wait to see this come to fruition.
Finally .. communication. Thank you!
While I no longer live in Perdido Bay Country Club Estates, I have owned and lived in three houses there and once taught at Blue Angels Elem(best school ever when I was there). I know there are no quick fixes in highway planning but we needed this light in 2003!!! We’ve often been told, since much of the property on the key and in the surrounding area is occupied by renters, and the absentee owners vote elsewhere, our concerns were discounted. Thank goodness some progress is being made. Sorrento Road remains a parking lot…as well as a death trap. Will it take another 20 years to address that?
Can you make all of Sorrento a NO PASSING Zone? I think this is the cause of most accidents and fatalities on this road. Stupidity!!
This is a much needed light. Living in PBCC since 2008, the traffic has increased easily in triplicate. I believe it was unknown that there were so many residents living in the complex and a thriving business to boot. Kudos to all involved. You just know you’ve saved multiple future lives with this action.
I'll have another big announcement on Thursday as it pertains to Sorrento Road, Longleaf Drive, Beulah, and a big stormwater project on Midas and Muldoon. Lots of good things coming this week--but Sorrento road deal is going to be giant!
I sure hope the news for Sorrento is widening it to 4 lanes. I currently live on Gulf Beach Highway (Snug Harbor area) and I just bought a piece of property I will be building a personal home in Russell Bayou down in Innerarity Island. The traffic at GBH and Sorrento road during tge height of the summer season is ridiculous. Now that they are building 300+ more homes right before the Perdido bridge the traffic will be gridlocked if something is nit done. A 2 Lane road is not cutting it. What do you plan on doing to make sure that does not happen?
That area gets backed up pretty bad and makes it difficult to pull out of Perdido Bay Country Club Estates (the one across the street.) I thought they were going to connect the Choctaw roads adding an entrance road and a light for both neighborhoods.
I agree 100% until road construction is completed, plus speed limit 45 (or less) from Perdido key to Blue Angel . Even police car lights will help will people passing. I'm recovering from an head-on accident on Sorrento & Nighthawk. Both cars were totaled, all because someone wanted to pass in a contraction zone. Road has a double yellow line..they pulled into on-coming traffic!! Of course they has no insurance!!
Now if we can get a light on Blue Angel at the liberty church we will be doing something.
Absolutely!!! The speeding & passing are killer!!! Today in 45 mph no passing zone with line of traffic a Motorcyclist Flew (more than 60!) by multiple cars, multiple times!! Cars are supposed to watch fir Mitircyles?? You bet!!! Watch them break the Law!!
Roads are not wide enough. Cars and moving trucks can barely make it through. And you can’t make wider because then you are going into peoples personal property.
And the 2 lane bridge???
I bet I know who this is and I miss you a bunch!!!!
Thank you sir for actually getting things done! Now we just need some investors that want to invest in the area with businesses besides storage facilities and fast food hamburger places…
Awesome! One also needs to be added to the Sorrento and Nighthawk area. If not a traffic light, at least a median or something!
Do you have any good news concerning the bridge on Oak Valley in the Wood Ridge subdivision off Dog Track? It was washed out and reduced to only one lane by Hurricane Sally. This is the third time it has been washed since 2012
Where can we find the info today that you are going to announce?
1226
Go to Myescambia.com you can see agenda there and the meeting is on video after the meeting and live streamed during.
https://escambiacofl.civicclerk.com/Web/Player.aspx?id=820
Anonymous 12:26--I'm announcing it this morning on a different stand-alone blog post, but the board approved it yesterday in the consent agenda. The board put $2 Million into Sorrento Road to fully fund the PD&E study--which, combined with our efforts to move the prioritization of the 4-lane sorrento road project from #19 to #8--essentially shaves 5 years off of the completion of this project and supercharges the effort to 4-lane. The first step happened yesterday to little fanfare--geiven everything else going on, but it did happen, it was a HUGE deal.
Awesome, Jeff! Hope you're doing well!
We desperately need a stop light at the intersection of Perdido Key Drive and River Road. It’s so dangerous and there is no access to get into the center of PK without turning left (which is sometimes next to impossible with the amount of traffic we get).
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