Sidewalks planned for dangerous Dike Road despite safety study

CASSELBERRY, Fla. — Changes are coming to Dike Road near Casselberry in Seminole County.

There have been 28 accidents on the curvy roadway in the last five years, prompting officials to now launch a safety study.

But WFTV's Bianca Castro found city officials plan to build sidewalks despite the fact that they may have to be ripped up.

County engineers said adding more sidewalks is their first order of business, but residents said there's a much bigger problem that needs to be addressed.

Residents like Ligea Reyes have witnessed dozens of accidents on Dike Road over the years.

"You can hear the tires screeching and it's kind of one of those wait for moments where you hear the tires screeching and then you heard the loud boom," she said.

Now, safety consultants will study how to make the road safer, and they could recommend that the county rebuild the road, so Channel 9 asked the county why it is still moving forward with plans to add $600,000 in sidewalks.

County engineers said by the time they acquire the land they need for the sidewalks their safety study will be complete, and then they'll decide whether to install the walkways.

"They should concentrate on making Dike Road safer before they make it more accessible for people to walk home," said Reyes.

"It seems like it's a little backwards," said resident Anne Leason. "You would think that you would do the study first and then maybe the sidewalks next."

Residents believe better law enforcement would help solve the crash problem, keeping drivers under the 25 mph speed limit.

The county may also launch an educational campaign to raise awareness on the road.

WFTV