ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — The Florida Department of Transportation says three State Road 50 projects are underway that should improve safety on the busy East Orange County highway.
It comes after a deadly four-car crash at the intersection of Lansing Street and East Colonial Drive in Bithlo claimed the life of a 48-year-old man on Thursday.
That crash prompted residents to reiterate longstanding safety concerns about State Road 50 (East Colonial Drive).
The Florida Highway Patrol is still investigating Thursday’s crash, which is not the first incident at this intersection. MetroPlan Orlando data reveals that there have been 16 crashes at or near this location between 2020 and 2025, including a deadly crash earlier this year and another in 2020.
It’s not the only problem intersection, according to a MetroPlan Orlando data analysis, there have been 51 crashes at and near the intersection of State Road 50 and S. Tanner Road in the last 5-years.
Pamela Sible, who has lived in East Orange County for years, has witnessed numerous crashes involving friends and neighbors at that very intersection.
“Bottom line, it’s not safe,” said Pamela Sible.
Sible told Channel 9, since 2015, she has been advocating for state funding to improve State Road 50.
She believes new development has spurred an increase in crashes which is reflected in MetroPlan Orlando data.
It shows the number of crashes at Tanner Road and State Road 50 increased by more than 300 percent from 2023 to 2024, the most recent complete years for which there was data.
The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) has plans to improve road safety including at the intersection where the 48-year-old died Thursday.
A $72 million project currently in the design phase aims to widen the roads from four to six lanes on State Road 50 from east of Chuluota Road (C.R. 419) to S.R. 520.
The project will also install pedestrian and bike paths, add new lighting, and close the median where Thursday’s deadly crash occurred at the Lansing Street intersection, so that cars can only turn right onto and off of State Road 50.
However, construction is not expected to begin until after 2029.
Pamela Sible expressed frustration over the delay, stating, “What happens in the meantime? How many more crashes, how many more fatalities?”
FDOT has stated that safety is their top priority, but residents like Pamela Sible are concerned about the ongoing risks until improvements are made.
Additional improvements are coming to State Road 50 in East Orange County. See the details and FDOT’s full response below.
“Safety is FDOT’s top priority and the Department is working on several projects to improve safety in different phases along S.R. 50 in the Bithlo area.
There is a project in the design phase from east of Chuluota Road to S.R. 520. The project includes improvements to the Lansing Street intersection, which would be changed to a right in right out connection with the median opening being closed. This will reduce the number of vehicular conflict points, or areas where vehicles can cross paths, and improve safety at that location. A 12-foot multi-use path will be constructed on both sides of S.R. 50 to accommodate vulnerable pedestrians and bicyclists. Roadway lighting will also be installed to improve safety at night. Right of way acquisition for the project is expected to begin spring 2026. This project is funded for construction and has a letting date of July 25, 2029. The project page is listed here: 239203-8 SR 50 from east of Chuluota Road (CR 419) to SR 520.
Other improvements along S.R. 50 are currently underway or in development. There is an active construction project currently underway from west of S.R. 520 to east of St. Anne Avenue. The project page is listed here: 445298-1 SR 50 from west of SR 520 to east of St Anne Ave. There is a project in the design phase from east of Avalon Park Boulevard to Chuluota Road. The project page is listed here: 239203-7 SR 50 Widening from east of Avalon Park Blvd to Chuluota Road (CR 419). Right of way acquisition began in September 2025. This project is funded for construction. The project will be constructed in two phases under new project numbers. The first phase is scheduled to begin summer 2027, while the second phase is expected to begin late summer 2028. The new project numbers will be 456096-1 and 456096-2.”
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