The chaotic U.S. Hwy. 27/441 widening brought confusion and tragedy in 2022.
It was the No. 2 story in The Villages in 2022.
The widening project caused huge traffic backups and numerous accidents, with Lady Lake police repeatedly begging drivers to slow down and pay attention to directional signage.
The project remains haunted by the death of 27-year-old John Joseph Terranova of Leesburg who was buried alive after a retaining wall caved in on him Feb. 2 at the site of the bridge over County Road 25.
In addition, a woman was airlifted from the scene of an accident after a teen driver admitted he had been distracted by his GPS and set off a chain-reaction crash in the construction zone.
In April, two teens were killed in an early morning crash in the U.S. Hwy. 27/441 construction zone.
