GROVELAND, Fla. — The Florida Department of Transportation is in the process of installing a series of concrete islands along State Road 50 in Groveland, and one resident is asking why they were necessary.

What You Need To Know

  • The Florida Department of Transportation has added concrete curb islands, also known as bulb-outs, to State Road 50 in Groveland

  • Maria Rodriguez says the bulb-outs are difficult to see

  • FDOT officials say they plan to alert drivers to changes with digital message boards

  • Roadway markings are also planned to make bulb-outs more visible

Maria Rodriguez said she first noticed the concrete curb islands, also known as bulb-outs, when she hit one with her car.

“I was just driving like I'm driving right now, and then my tire, I guess, just caught the corner of that curve, and it just went,” she said. “I thought I was going to go airborne when I hit that.”

She said the impact blew two tires and misaligned her car.

After paying $1,200 to get it fixed, she is now asking for answers.

“It's a faulty design, if you ask me,” Rodriquez said. “(These bulb-outs) shouldn't be there, because they are interfering with the traffic in Groveland.”

FDOT is installing 35 of the bulb-outs as part of a project aimed at improving safety along the eastbound lanes of State Road 50 from Ivey Street to Crittenden Street in downtown Groveland.

FDOT Spokeswoman Cindi Lane said before they were installed, parallel parking spaces along State Road 50 were sometimes misused by drivers as travel lanes when the spaces were unoccupied.

The bulb-outs, according to Lane, help delineate the parking area, narrow the roadway and improve pedestrian safety.

“The bulb-outs are strategically placed at key crossing locations to enhance pedestrian safety and improve motorists’ sightlines at intersections,” Lane said. “These improvements are part of FDOT’s ongoing efforts to support the city of Groveland’s downtown redevelopment.”

Rodriguez said because of traffic backups, an extra lane, instead of bulb-outs, should have been installed.

Lane says an FDOT representative met with Rodriguez to go over her concerns.

“To ensure motorists are alerted to the new bulb-outs, the digital message board has been changed from 'New Traffic Pattern Ahead' to 'Narrow Lanes Ahead,'" Lane said. "The project team is also considering other potential adjustments to the project as work continues."

As construction nears completion, Lane says the bulb-outs will become more visible to drivers with final roadway markings added.

Let us know about your traffic trouble spot here.