INVERNESS, Fla. - A long awaited road project is now underway in Citrus County.

What You Need To Know

  • FDOT is expanding US 41 to four lanes from State Road 44 to south of the Withlacoochee Trail Bridge

  • The project is being done to fix growing congestion on the two-lane road

  • That also includes a left turn lane for southbound traffic heading into Inverness Middle School

The Florida Dept. of Transportation (FDOT) is now widening US 41 in Inverness, an area that gets very congested.

The project will also help traffic getting in and out of Inverness Middle School.

David Vincent, Chief of Police for Citrus County Schools, says the change has been needed for a while.

“For us as a school district, US 41 and Middle School Road has always been an area of congestion and concern,” Vincent said.

The traffic on US 41 there averaged 18,000 cars a day in 2021, according to an FDOT study.

Despite all that traffic, US 41 is just two lanes. And with no turn lanes, it really backs up during school time.

“Between the buses and parents exiting and entering during morning and afternoon traffic, this is very difficult to manage,” Vincent said.

That’s why he’s thankful that FDOT is now finally widening US 41.

Work recently started on the project, which will expand 41 to four lanes from State Road 44 to south of the Withlacoochee Trail Bridge.

That also includes a much-needed left turn lane for southbound traffic heading into Inverness Middle School.

“We hope the combo of the new lanes and additional turn lane in this project will help with the commuter traffic,” Vincent said.

He’s also hopeful those extra lanes should help traffic move through the rest of Inverness as well.

The $21.6 million project also includes new bike lanes and sidewalks.

It’s expected to be done by the summer of 2025.