TPO adds SR‑20 Hawthorne resurfacing project to TIP; board urges safety review

FDOT District 2 liaison Laurie Santana asked the board to approve a TIP amendment to add project 4432582 for resurfacing and rehabilitation of State Road 20 in the town of Hawthorne (from west of SE 211th Street to west of NE 5th Street). Santana said the proposal would fund preliminary engineering in the first segment of the next TIP so the district can proceed with design work.

Board members and the public raised safety concerns for a mid‑block crossing near a school, heavy truck traffic and pedestrian safety where a 60 mph posted speed interacts with school drop‑offs. Santana said the resurfacing scope will repair sub‑surface pavement failures, maintain an existing mid‑block crosswalk and repaint striping, replace detectable warnings and curb ramps to meet ADA standards, and improve pedestrian signal features at the single signalized intersection in the project limits. She said the shoulder is used as a bike lane and will remain so; the resurfacing project as scoped does not include new signalization at the mid‑block crossing.

Commissioner Cornell moved that DOT evaluate signalization or an expanded scope to address the school crossing; staff and the DOT liaison noted that safety ideas can be pursued through DOT funding processes (for example, leveraging SU funds or adding projects to the LOPP list). The board approved the TIP amendment unanimously by voice vote.

Why it matters: Adding the project to the TIP lets FDOT proceed with preliminary engineering sooner, which can accelerate later construction if funding and land rights align. Some public speakers asked the TPO and DOT to pursue interim safety measures before full reconstruction.

What’s next: DOT district staff will continue design work; TPO staff will track safety requests and follow up on whether additional safety treatments (signals, beacons, turn lanes) can be added in future project phases or amendments.