St. Lucie County officials are moving forward with a redesign of Prima Vista Boulevard between Airoso Boulevard and U.S. Highway 1, a stretch that has seen 578 crashes since 2020, according to the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office. The proposed changes, outlined by county engineer Dan Zrallack, call for the removal of the existing center left‑turn lane—often referred to as a “suicide lane”—and its replacement with a raised median.
“Statistically, the safety improves by up to like 40 percent or more,” Zrallack told WPTV. He explained that a median can better control turning movements, protecting both drivers and pedestrians. The design also aims to reduce the number of conflict points that contribute to accidents on the busy corridor.
Community input is a key part of the process. A public meeting held Thursday night at the MidFlorida Credit Union Event Center gave residents a chance to weigh in. While many welcomed the safety focus, some voiced strong reservations. Long‑time resident Kadaysha Wilkins, who lives on Prima Vista Boulevard, told WPTV that the median could create “more chaos than good.” She noted that a five‑minute school‑run could become a 15‑minute trip and that turning into her driveway might take “15 minutes” instead of a few seconds.
County staff acknowledged the concerns. Zrallack said the agency hopes to “hear from the community again and see what else we can do to refine the design.” He emphasized that the median is intended to balance safety improvements with traffic flow, and that adjustments may be made based on feedback.
Officials have not released a final timeline for construction, but the design review process will continue. Residents are encouraged to stay engaged through upcoming public meetings, where additional design tweaks and implementation schedules will be discussed.
What’s next: St. Lucie County will incorporate community feedback into the final design and schedule further public meetings to finalize the project. Residents can monitor updates on the county’s website and attend future sessions to ensure their concerns are addressed before construction begins.
Sources: wptv.com
