PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. — Homeowners near Harborview Road in Port Charlotte say improvements to the road can’t come soon enough, after another crash happened overnight Sunday.
Investigators say an impaired driver lost control of his vehicle while going around “dead man’s curve” on Harborview Rd. around 1:30 a.m. Sunday. The vehicle flipped upside down and damaged a home near the road. No one was injured in the incident, but neighbors say that it happens too often.
“Harborview Road is a dangerous road,” Said Peter Savino, who has lived in the neighborhood for over a decade. “There have been countless accidents, deaths, the curve has to be fixed.”
The two-lane road includes sharp curves that make it hard to see oncoming traffic, it’s poorly lit at night, and it's currently handling more traffic than it was designed for.
The Florida Department of Transportation has a plan to address those issues and improve the road.
“The roadway will be reconstructed from a rural roadway with flush shoulders to an urban-typical section where the travel lanes will be bordered by a curb and a gutter,” said Janella Newsome, the Director of Public Information for FDOT District 1. “The traffic will be separated by a 22-foot raised median which will assist in reducing head on collisions and side-swipe crashes.”
Additionally, the road improvements will dull the sharp curve and add more lighting to the area.
“The curve in question is being realigned and will not be as sharp,” said Newsome. “The current radius of the curve is 573 feet, and the new radius will be about 1200 feet. So by increasing the curve radius, sight distance will be vastly improved so drivers will have more time to react to unexpected situations.”
The project is expected to spend $20 million for right-of-way purchases and $48 million for construction costs. FDOT expects the project to be completed by mid 2026.
For neighbors like Savino, the improvements will be welcomed.
“It has to be done for the safety of the community, kids, people,” said Savino. “I hope they can do something, it's terrible, but maybe something will get done with this expansion.”
