FDOT Plans Traffic Signal at College Road, U.S. 1 Intersection on Stock Island

A permanent traffic signal is coming to the north end of College Road at U.S. 1 on Stock Island, where years of crashes and gridlock have made left turns onto the Overseas Highway a daily ordeal for thousands of motorists. The Florida Department of Transportation is scheduled to begin construction in Spring 2026, with a five-month window that would put the project's completion in Fall 2026.

"I have been working with FDOT to install this much-needed traffic light for a long time and I'm happy progress is being made," said Monroe County Sheriff Rick Ramsay, whose office originally requested the signalization and pushed for FDOT funding, which was secured last year.

The project was born from a documented pattern of danger. FDOT's own project background notes that "over the years we have experienced a large amount of traffic crashes at this intersection in addition to large back-ups of traffic trying to get out onto US 1." The Monroe County Sheriff's Office echoed that assessment, saying the intersection "has long plagued motorists attempting to turn in and out of College Road creating a safety hazard." The problem is geometric as much as it is volume: U.S. 1 carries two lanes in each direction at that stretch, meaning drivers attempting a left turn from College Road must cross three lanes of oncoming traffic.

FDOT's project scope goes well beyond hanging a signal head. The agency plans to create a three-way signalized intersection, upgrade pedestrian sidewalks, ramps and crossings for both walkers and cyclists, repave and restripe the roadway, upgrade existing lighting, and install an Intelligent Transportation System for connected vehicles. Westbound left turns and U-turns at the intersection will be restricted, and a driveway on the south side will be realigned with a right-turn-only exit, a change that directly affects access to the marina at that corner. FDOT's project team met with Beach Weekend Marina's property owner and representatives in July 2024 and with City of Key West Engineering in August 2024 as part of community outreach.

The FDOT project sheet lists a construction cost of $1.7, though the unit and full figure are truncated in available project materials. The project's milestone schedule runs from production in May 2025 through a contractor letting date in September 2025 before the Spring 2026 construction start. FDOT Project Manager Claudia Gutierrez, P.E., leads the effort, with Consultant Project Engineer Ramon Tesone, P.E., and Community Outreach Specialist Jose Ignacio Grados rounding out the project team.

The Monroe County Sheriff's Office, in an announcement reported by the Key West Citizen, cited April 1 as the construction start date, while a separate report listed June 3, 2026. FDOT's own project materials do not specify a calendar day, listing only a Spring 2026 start. The discrepancy has not been publicly resolved.

The signal has particular significance for the mile-long stretch of College Road, which serves Gerald Adams Elementary School, the College of the Florida Keys, Lower Keys Medical Center, Key West Tropical Forest and Botanical Garden, Florida Keys SPCA, Key West Golf Club and Sunset Marina Apartments. FDOT's Traffic Operations Office conducted a formal signal-warrant study at the intersection before committing to the installation, according to Monroe County planning documents. Those same documents flag that the College Road site sits just 0.75 miles from 4th Street, where another signal has been requested, and recommend a corridor study to assess the combined traffic impact of both installations.

Monroe County planning documents also note that the project may require modifications to the county's Comprehensive Plan policies, along with coordination with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and FDOT's Maintenance and Structures offices, given potential right-of-way and environmental considerations.

The intersection did have a temporary signal installed in 2020 during the Cow Key Bridge construction, but that light was removed when the bridge work ended. This installation is designed to be permanent. Until construction is complete, MCSO Spokesperson Adam Linhardt advises motorists to use the signalized intersection at south College Road, particularly during rush hour, when making left turns onto U.S. 1.