State Road 710 was supposed to be a quiet rural connector. Instead, a two-lane stretch in Martin County has become notorious, with the local sheriff now blasting it as a “death trap” as fatal wrecks mount and patience for slow-moving road projects runs thin.
Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek says the narrow corridor has turned into a dangerous mix of cars, big rigs and farm equipment, where risky passing and big speed differences are a fact of daily life. The once sleepy route is now a road many locals say they dread.
In the first two weeks of January, six people were killed in separate crashes along SR 710 in Martin County, according to CBS12. The station reports Budensiek described at least one of the recent wrecks as “horrific” and said deputies are seeing both reckless passing and major speed discrepancies on the highway. Local drivers and county officials argue that minor fixes will not cut it without a full-blown expansion.
Project Size And Timeline
State transportation planners have had a four-lane rebuild of SR 710 on the books for years, but the price tag and permitting have kept the project crawling forward instead of racing ahead. A WPTV report puts the estimated cost of widening the road between Indiantown and Okeechobee at roughly $170 million and notes that not all the money is lined up yet.
With the big rebuild still in the distance, local planning talks have zeroed in on smaller moves like extra turn lanes, better signage and other short-term safety measures, while design work and right-of-way acquisition for the full expansion continue in the background.
Officials And Enforcement
Sheriff Budensiek has been pushing lawmakers to speed things up, telling WPBF that his deputies “can’t write tickets out of this” and that the long-planned widening is scheduled too far down the road. He has argued that the highway’s design problems are now outpacing what traffic stops and citations can reasonably address.
State Rep. John Snyder says he has met with Florida Department of Transportation leaders in Tallahassee to press for faster action on the SR 710 overhaul. County officials say they will keep lobbying to pull forward funding for design and land acquisition in hopes of getting construction underway sooner than currently planned.
Enforcement And Arrests
In the meantime, law enforcement has ramped up patrols on Warfield Boulevard, which runs along the troubled stretch. Deputies recently arrested a 64-year-old man they say was barreling down SR 710 at about 100 mph while impaired. Breath tests later showed readings above the legal limit, according to WPTV.
The man now faces DUI, Super Speeder and improper-passing charges as investigators continue to examine the recent string of fatal crashes along the road.
The Florida Department of Transportation says it reviews deadly wrecks and will roll out near-term safety improvements such as new lighting, rumble strips and another passing lane while the larger widening project inches through design and permitting, according to CBS12. For now, local leaders and residents are leaning on Tallahassee to tighten the schedule, arguing that each year of delay means more lives at risk on a road they say has already earned its grim nickname.
