Charlotte County road project addresses neighbor concerns for intersection

Worried about their safety on the road, drivers who use a Charlotte County intersection every day said it’s an accident waiting to happen. Neighbors who live near the busy intersection said they are fed up with speeders and traffic congestion. There is no traffic light at the intersection or sidewalk or pedestrian walkway on parts of it.

Neighbors said speeding at Peachland and Loveland boulevards in Port Charlotte is a dangerous issue Monday.

“I have sat here probably 10 minutes to get out of my driveway,” Sandy Parsley said.

Some neighbors who live near the intersection said other drivers can be aggressive toward them as they leave their homes.

“I had somebody come down, and I went to turn into my driveway, and the guys almost slammed into my back with a pickup truck,” Linn Orlowski. “And he swore at me and told me to learn how to drive.”

Margaret Kameka, who walks the busy road often, said something needs to be done about the various hazards at the intersection.

“We would appreciate a light here,” Kameka said.

The county responded to neighbor concerns, analyzing the intersection over the past year. At the end of February, work is scheduled to begin to install traffic lights, sidewalks and a pedestrian walkway.

“We finally got all the swift mud permits, the federal state permits for the project,” said Jeff Keyser, project manager for Charlotte County. “Put the project out for bid, hired a contractor, and the notice to proceed is ‪Feb. 25‬, which the project will start.”

The county hopes to complete the project by July, this summer.

However, some neighbors worry that is not enough.

“It’s going to back up traffic,” Linn Orlowski. “And it’s going to make it harder for us to get out of our driveways.”

Neighbors shared their thoughts on a solution to the dangerous roadway near the intersection.

“Moving that traffic light towards the McDonald’s and where the new apartment complex spills out onto this road,” Richard Nutt said. “Probably be a solution because the roads already wide there, and they have the turning lane.”

But Keyser said his department believes adding the light to the intersection at Peachland and Loveland will solve the problem that many neighbors have raised concerns about.

“Safety is one of my most important aspects of any project,” Keyser said.