Pinellas County commissioners are scheduled to request $140 million from the Florida Department of Transportation on Tuesday, July 21, to widen and rebuild East Lake Road from Curlew Road north to Trinity Boulevard, a major Palm Harbor commuter corridor.

The county would put up $35 million in matching funds, bringing the total project cost to $175 million.

At the same meeting, the Board of County Commissioners will seek federal Safe Streets for All grant money to redesign the intersection of Keystone Road and East Lake Road. Planned improvements there include additional left-turn lanes and new northbound and eastbound lanes aimed at easing congestion.

County seeks to restart long-stalled road project

The East Lake Road project has been in limbo. County Administrator Barry Burton told commissioners in April 2026 that "projects associated with East Lake Road and the Dunedin Causeway … have stalled." Burton said he, BCC Chair Eggers, and another commissioner had met with FDOT District Secretary Justin Hall to discuss options for moving forward.

Tuesday's agenda item follows those April discussions. A formal vote to submit the $140 million grant application would mark the first concrete step toward restarting the project.

Corridor doubles as hurricane evacuation route amid safety concerns

County officials say the East Lake–Keystone corridor is a primary evacuation and emergency response route during hurricanes. The current road configuration has caused significant traffic problems during past storm emergencies, according to the county's agenda materials.

The grant requests come amid growing concern about road safety in Pinellas County. A Smart Growth America report ranks the Tampa Bay metro area in the top 10 nationally for pedestrian danger, and Pinellas County recorded 117 traffic fatalities in 2024, according to Forward Pinellas, the county's metropolitan planning organization. Fatal crashes involving bicyclists rose 5% over the five-year period ending in 2024.

Grant applications await state and federal review

The BCC meeting begins at 2 p.m. Tuesday, July 21, at 333 Chestnut St. in Clearwater. If commissioners approve the requests, the applications would go to FDOT and the U.S. Department of Transportation for review. No timeline for grant decisions has been announced.

Residents who want to follow the project or provide input can monitor agendas and meeting materials through the county's public meeting portal.