Construction begins for State Road 390 widening project

According to officials with the Florida Department of Transportation, the beginning stages of the 390 widening project are now underway.

Overall, the project will widen areas of 390. It'll add sidewalks and bicycle lanes as well, but it'll be done in three separate segments.

Construction on the first segment from Baldwin to Jenks Avenue recently kicked off.

Workers have been removing vegetation from the roadway and clearing land to make the widening possible.

Work on the second segment is set to begin next year. The third segment will kick off in about two years.

FDOT Spokesman, Ian Satter says the end result will be a safer road with less traffic.

"We're seeing higher amounts of traffic that's only going to increase, so in order to improve safety and reduce congestion, we're going to widen from two to six lanes. It's also an important route for people trying to get down to the coastal areas, back and forth, so we understand this importance for not only the people who live here but also for the visitors and the people who do business in this area as well," he said.

The next step in the first segment of the widening project is to relocate utility lines. That's expected to be completed by the end of Winter 2020.

The entire project however, is set to be done within the next five years.

Some intersections along the corridor will also be re-aligned throughout that timeline.