PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — Officials say changes are coming to the intersection of Gulf to Bay Boulevard and Belcher Road, one of the busiest in Pinellas County.

While it’s not the big overhaul that some may have expected, the idea of eliminating left turns at the intersection would still be significant.

Emilia Marinova works at an office at the intersection and says there isn't a week that goes when she doesn’t hear something outside her office.

“Typically there are cops, fire department here," she said. "There’s always something going on here. Car accidents happen often."

Gulf to Bay and Belcher is an intersection that Pinellas County officials say they have been trying to fix for years due to the high number of crashes and traffic congestion.

One concept that was discussed was to change the intersection into a U-turn system that would get rid of left turns. Drivers needing to turn left would instead make U-turns and then turn right in dedicated lanes. Experts say that the idea is that by eliminating left turns, the number of crashes would be reduced and traffic would flow better.

While popular in other states, officials said that system is not currently used in Florida.

At a recent county commissioner work session, a simpler fix was proposed: Closing one left turn lane at a time to see how drivers respond.

Avoiding left turns is actually something Marinova already recommends to people coming in and out of her office.

“I always recommend coming out of the parking lot, making a right turn, then turning around if you need to go the opposite direction,” she said.

Pinellas County officials say they are now working with the Florida Department of Transportation and the city of Clearwater on options and to determine the feasibility of the turn lane closures.

They said the changes could happen later this year and would serve as a study to see if a more permanent fix to the intersection can be implemented.