FDOT outlines prioritized safety, pedestrian and median changes for State Road 580 corridor

State Road 580 should get a mix of near‑term safety fixes and long‑term reconstruction, Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) staff told the Dunedin City Commission on Jan. 28.

FDOT project manager Jensen Hackett said the corridor study — covering State Road 580 from Alternate 19 to Tampa Road and up to the Pinellas‑Hillsborough county line — is in final draft and will be released in late spring or early summer. The report ranks a dozen or so short‑term improvements that would not require right‑of‑way acquisition and a set of longer‑term improvements that would.

The study prioritized lower‑cost items that produce safety and operational benefit, Hackett said. Consultant project manager Jeff Novotny and FDOT multimodal staff described short‑term proposals such as improved intersection signing and crosswalk upgrades, added turn‑lane length, and low‑cost mid‑block crossing and refuge island…