Neighbors asking for help with dangerous Polk intersection

POLK COUNTY, Fla. - Neighbors in Davenport say a busy road is getting more and more dangerous.

There have been several crashes on Ronald Reagan Pkwy and Briargrove Ave in recent years, just east of I-4.

It’s also the intersection where Heritage Pass crosses, which now has traffic coming from Osceola Polk Line Road.

“Somebody is going to get killed in one of these accidents. They just keep happening. It’s a dangerous corner,” said Kathleen Zonca, who lives in the Briargove community.

A recent high speed crash this month that injured several people also has neighbors upset.

Zonca says she has seen as many as four crashes there in a single day.

“Nobody seems to know how the rules of the road work. So they try to squeak out and they end up getting hit,” Zonca said.

Zonca feels one of the problems is just how busy the Champions Gate area of Davenport is now. According to the U.S. Census, Davenport tripled in population from 2010 to 2020.

“It’s just been a mess for years now. It keeps getting worse as more and more apartments keep going up and the traffic gets worse,” Zonca said.

Zonca has been trying to get Polk County to install a traffic light there for more than four years.

In an email, Bill Skelton with says a traffic light is currently funded at the intersection. While there is no schedule for installation, he says Polk County is trying to expedite the process.

Zonca believes that’s the only way the crashes will stop.

“People are making turns left and right and that’s how the accidents keep happening. So we need a traffic light with turn signals,” Zonca said.