Turn lanes are being added to the busiest intersection in The Villages in an attempt to cut down on congestion.
The intersection is located at County Road 466 and Morse Boulevard, home to the busiest gate in Florida’s Friendliest Hometown.
The Sumter County Commission in January awarded the bid for the work to CW Roberts Contracting Inc. of Wildwood for $863,604.
The work will include the addition of a right turn lane from County Road 466 onto Morse Boulevard. The turn lane will be added in front of Hope Lutheran Church.
An additional left turn lane will be constructed in the westbound lane of County Road 466 turning south onto Morse Boulevard, heading toward Lake Sumter Landing.
You can see the entire project at this link: CR 466 at Morse Blvd BID SET_2020-12-09_digitalS&S
While the work could ease the flow of traffic at the intersection, it essentially smooths out the flow of traffic onto Morse Boulevard north of County Road 466. That stretch of roadway has been a sore point with longtime Villagers who claim it is dangerous and only getting worse.
Earlier this month, a 74-year-old man from Holmes, N.Y. was fatally injured after he pulled his golf cart onto Morse Boulevard as he was leaving the postal station. His golf cart was struck by a silver Mercedes two-seater driven by a 62-year-woman who lives in The Villages. The New Yorker was thrown from the golf cart in the collision.
The death of 85-year-old Francis “Buck” Hughes when his golf cart was hit by a van on Morse Boulevard on Jan. 13, 2015 inspired neighbor Sherrie Hyer to collect more than 1,000 signatures on a petition calling on the Sumter County Commission to make changes to Morse Boulevard north of County Road 466 due to residents’ safety concerns. However, by June, the commission declared it a “dead issue,” citing the high cost of right-of-way acquisition and changes that would have to be made for drainage and ditches.
