BY MARK J. CRAWFORD
Telegraph Editor
STARKE — The Starke Truck Route certainly has eased traffic congestion on U.S. 301, and while the worst predictions of Starke becoming a ghost town have not come true, first responders have had to deal with dozens of crashes since the bypass opened in 2019.
The design, which didn’t really become controversial until construction of the bypass was underway, is largely blamed for the number of accidents. Speeding is a temptation some drivers cannot resist, and this contributes to accidents at the red lights as well as when traffic tries to merge into active lanes.
David Tyler from the Florida Department of Transportation discussed the safety of the truck route with Starke commissioners on Oct. 5. Mayor Janice Mortimer invited Tyler to speak to the entire board after hearing him at a recent meeting of the North Central Florida Regional Planning Council.
“We know there are some safety issues, some pretty serious safety issues out on the truck route, and Mr. Tyler graciously accepted,” Mortimer said.
Mortimer specifically asked about FDOT’s plans to make future improvements in response to the safety issues.
Tyler said he looked at crash volume over the past two years and said there were 52 or 53 crashes on the seven-mile stretch and its four interchanges. Most involved only property damage, he said, while 19 crashes did result in injury. He only found one fatality — a late night crash at the S.R. 16 interchange that was drug related, and therefore not a matter of roadway safety.
Tyler also mapped where the accidents were happening, finding that most occurred on the southern end of the bypass where traffic volume tends to be highest.
“It’s somewhat to be expected. There’s not a lot (of crashes) along the main line. They are pretty much aggregating around the interchanges,” he said.
Looking toward the future, during the 2023 fiscal year, Tyler said FDOT would undertake a project development environment study focused on the southern bypass that will consider potential improvements. These could range from lighting improvements to constructing a grade-separated interchange that would eliminate the traffic signal.
The study will go further than crash data, resulting in a truly in-depth analysis, Tyler said. But design wouldn’t be slated until 2025, with construction beginning in 2027, which is typical of FDOT’s project scheduling.
Signage would also be addressed, as well as any other improvements to help drivers navigate the interchanges.
“Right now, it’s a signalized intersection, which isn’t really typical to see on a limited access facility. Normally they’re grade separated, more of a typical interchange layout where you don’t have to stop and go, and that’s what’s causing a lot of the crashes,” Tyler said.
FDOT also plans a landscaping project along U.S. 301 during the current fiscal year, according to Tyler.
