GROVELAND, Fla. — A Groveland viewer says traffic signals are needed to help drivers pull out onto State Road 50.

“(There has) been tremendous growth and I’ve just realized there hasn’t been anything as far as change to the roadways,” said Chuck Edwards, who has lived in Groveland for the past 20 years.

Edwards says getting onto State Road 50 from his neighborhood off Timber Village Road is difficult.

“It’s only a matter of time before lives are lost,” Edwards said.

He says drivers will dart across busy State Road 50, sometimes to their own peril.

Nearby, he says the same problem happens when trying to turn at State Road 50 and Montevista Road.

“I believe you’re taking your life in your own hands,” he said.

Edwards knows the streets. He was a road patrol sergeant with the Groveland Police Department.

He says traffic signals would make pulling out at these intersections safer.

Spectrum News 13 reached out to FDOT to investigate the spots. Some good news for Edwards. FDOT Communications Manager Matthew Richardson says a traffic signal is planned for State Road 50 and Montevista Road.

It’s currently being designed. FDOT is waiting for the completion of right of way acquisition for a multi-use trail along State Road 50.

“Completion of the right of way acquisition for the multi-use trail project will allow for signal poles for the SR-50 and Montevista Road intersection to be placed outside of the trail,” Richardson said in an email.

Because of the new light at Montevista Road, FDOT officials do not recommend a traffic signal at Timber Village Road, since FDOT thinks the two intersections are too close to each other.

Edwards also wanted FDOT to look at the intersection of State Road 19 and Bible Camp Road.

“This is all so congested that it’s almost impossible to get out of, especially during school hours,” he said.

FDOT officials say they aren’t planning a traffic light at that intersection, but their project to realign State Road 50 could dramatically reduce the amount of traffic at Bible Camp Road.