Crystal River Mayor Joe Meek recently brought up concerns about traffic flow into the city on Citrus Avenue (C.R. 495) at a city council meeting. The potential increased traffic created by the exit from the Suncoast Parkway (S.R. 589) on C.R. 495 is a pressing issue. Citrus Avenue goes through the historic downtown district of the city and has a signal at US 19.
The city is exploring limited options to address the issue without damaging the historic district or increasing dangers to high pedestrian traffic. One potential fix is North Turkey Oak Drive, which crosses Citrus Avenue on the edge of the city and goes from S.R. 44 to US 19. The Citrus/Hernando Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) reviewed North Turkey Oak as a bypass for the city and made some improvements. The city had requested $20.7 million from the state for upgrades to enhance the bypass designation of Turkey Oak, but Gov. DeSantis vetoed those funds.
The parkway exit is scheduled to open in 2029, giving the city, county, and state time to prepare for the influx of traffic. The city council will continue to discuss options for addressing the traffic flow issue.
Originally reported by Citrus County Chronicle – Crystal River
