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Crystal River mayor urges early planning for parkway exit, historic downtown impacts
Summary
Mayor Joe Meek asked the MPO to begin planning around the future Exit 495 on the Suncoast Parkway and urged early consideration of turn lanes and alternate routing to protect Crystal River's historic downtown.
Mayor Joe Meek of Crystal River told the Hernando‑Citrus MPO board that the forthcoming Exit 495 from the Suncoast Parkway (anticipated in the parkways next phase) will create traffic and access issues for historic Crystal River and the adjacent Emerald Oaks development.
Meek said turn lanes and access improvements will be required and asked the MPO and county staff to begin planning now because construction and the new exit are expected in roughly three‑and‑a‑half to four years. He said the historic downtown core along Citrus Avenue and U.S. 19 has buildings close to the roadway that limit how much the city can widen the street and recommended considering improvements a half‑mile away (Citrus Avenue at Turkey Oak) to reduce bottlenecks into the historic core while preserving its character.
Meek asked the MPO to "put that on the radar" and start conversations with the Turnpike authority and county staff about turn lanes and routing as developments come online around Emerald Oaks Road and the parkway interchange. MPO staff said they would look into the issue and report back.
No formal action was taken; the item was placed into MPO staff follow‑up for planning coordination.
