East Lake Road Corridor

The East Lake Road corridor runs from the intersection of McMullen Booth Road (which becomes East Lake Road as you travel north) and Curlew Road, to just north of the intersection East Lake Road and Trinity Boulevard, close to the Pinellas County border with Pasco County. The corridor length is 9.3 miles. The project website contains information about the corridor and other associated projects.

The corridor project includes multiple individual, early-action projects along the corridor to address urgent operational needs and lay the groundwork for corridor-wide improvements. From south to north, those include but are not limited to:

• Tarpon Woods Boulevard intersection improvements (completed)
• The McMullen Booth Road Northbound Off Ramp Bridge
• The McMullen Booth bridges over Tampa Road
• The East Lake Road bridges over Brooker Creek
• And the East Lake Road and Keystone Road intersection.

We are doing engagement for those individual projects as well as the whole corridor to make sure we consider the needs of the whole corridor while making improvements to each project. Each individual project has a webpage linked at the top left (or bottom if on mobile) of the main East Lake Road Corridor webpage.

As Pinellas County continues to grow in population, the East Lake Road corridor has experienced an increase in traffic volume. That volume exceeds the current capacity of the roadway, increasing traffic congestion and mobility safety concerns. The project is listed in the Forward Pinellas 2050 Long Range Transportation Plan, called Advantage Pinellas. Advantage Pinellas is a strategic plan to improve mobility and economic opportunity county-wide.

The individual projects that are happening address urgent operational needs and lay the groundwork for the larger corridor improvement effort. One project includes widening bridges to provide three lanes of traffic in each direction at Brooker Creek. Another project is replacing a ramp structure carrying northbound McMullen Booth Road to Tampa Road; the structure has reached the end of its service life and does not have adequate lanes to accommodate future traffic. The intersection of East Lake Road and Keystone Road is being improved to permit traffic to flow better and allow emergency vehicles to safely traverse Keystone Road and the intersection. While these individual efforts are underway, the County is in the process of collecting and analyzing data for the entire corridor through a Project Development and Environment (PD&E) study, which includes a traffic study looking at the movement of traffic through the corridor as well as at each of the intersections. The accompanying environmental study considers the effects of the entire project on the area.

Different projects along East Lake Road have different schedules. The Tarpon Woods lane-extension work was completed in 2026. Construction at Keystone Road is currently anticipated for 2027–2028, the McMullen Booth northbound off-ramp for 2028–2030 and the Brooker Creek bridges for 2028–2030. Construction of the full corridor is expected to begin in 2031 and will be completed in segments.

Construction is expected to begin in 2031. The timeline of the construction will depend on funding availability and project phasing. The plan is to do the construction in segments, so the whole corridor will not be under construction at the same time. We will be working on several related improvements that are being constructed ahead of the full corridor. All corridor updates and related improvement projects are linked from the top (bottom of page if on mobile) of the main corridor webpage.

Pinellas County is currently conducting a Project Development and Environment (PD&E) study that is expected to continue through late 2028. The current study will evaluate alternatives, traffic operations and potential community and environmental effects.

Some construction work is happening now to prepare for the full corridor project. Some of the bridges at the south end of the corridor need to be widened to accommodate three lanes of traffic in each direction. We’ve completed a temporary improvement at Tarpon Woods Boulevard to provide three lanes (rather than two) northbound through the intersection. The intersection of East Lake Road and Keystone Road is being improved to improve traffic flow and allow emergency vehicles to safely traverse Keystone Road and the intersection.

The overall objective of this study is to improve the roadway’s ability to handle current and future traffic needs and improve safety in the corridor. The major anticipated improvements are adding a lane on the inside of the current two lanes to allow three lanes of traffic flow in each direction and improving traffic movement at each of the intersections. Improvement in traffic flow will reduce backups and improve access for residents and existing businesses along the corridor.

The widening will be to the inside to provide one additional lane in each direction inside the current highway right-of-way. The corridor will maintain its look and feel while being improved so traffic can move safely with less congestion.

The Pinellas Trail alignment will not be affected by the East Lake Road Corridor improvements; however, we will evaluate Trail crossings at each intersection for potential safety enhancements. During construction, Trail users may see temporary crossing changes or detours if needed for safety.

Intersection improvements will be looked at from a wholesale approach so that each intersection has a similar feel when driving through the entire corridor. Some slight variations in turning movements and pedestrian crossings may be used, depending on the traffic needs at the intersections. Different intersection types will be presented to the public to gather feedback that can help inform the decision about which type of intersection to use.

The original design of East Lake Road, north of Tampa Road, included a wide median to accommodate future capacity improvements. While still early in the development process, the intent is that roadway widening would be to the inside, in the existing median area. Stormwater drainage improvements to address floodplain impacts may require land acquisition to allow for the construction of ponds, however, pond siting locations will be carefully evaluated with County-owned land utilization taking precedence.

The project will not direct traffic to detour into local neighborhoods. The roadway improvements will be designed to minimize lane and roadway closures to keep traffic on East Lake Road during construction

Traffic volumes are being studied as part of the Project Development and Environment (PD&E) Study for the corridor. This data will be used to determine what intersection improvements will be required, including changes to traffic light timing.

The existing drainage is being evaluated as part of the Project Development and Environment (PD&E) Study to determine what impacts there are to floodplains and stormwater storage. The study will provide recommendations on potential pond locations to address drainage needs.

A highway traffic noise study is being performed as part of the Project Development and Environment (PD&E) Study that is currently underway. This study assesses current and future (with project) noise levels throughout the project area. Stay tuned for the results.

Potential impacts to wildlife habitat will be evaluated during the Project Development and Environment (PD&E) Study. The study will provide recommendations on addressing any potential wildlife impacts.

One planned improvement for wildlife in the area is at the Bridges Over Brooker Creek Widening project, where we will provide a wildlife crossing underneath the bridges.

We are doing engagement for those individual projects as well as the whole corridor to make sure we consider the needs of the whole corridor while making improvements to each project. Residents will have the opportunity to offer their perspective and ask questions directly to our project managers during the process. Upcoming public engagement opportunities for the corridor-wide improvements will be posted under Community Outreach.

For any questions regarding the East Lake Road Corridor project, please contact the listed Project Manager.

For questions regarding the individual projects located along the East Lake Corridor, please contact the Project Managers listed on their project websites.

Funding for the construction phase for the corridor project has not been determined. The County is actively seeking federal and state grants to offset local funds.

The County is coordinating with the Florida Department of Transportation on the Project Development & Environment (PD&E) Study to make sure we are complying with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969. This makes the County eligible to receive federal and/or state funding for the corridor improvements.