HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — Driving through Riverview during rush hour can be frustrating.

But there’s one intersection in particular that commuters like Lynne Shiflett get stuck at every day: U.S. 301 and Balm Riverview Road.

“It’s very, very frustrating. People don’t want to wait and take their turn. Everybody is in a hurry,” Shiflett said.

She’s referring to the long line of traffic turning left from U.S. 301 southbound to Balm Riverview Road.

“I face it every afternoon on my way home,” Shiflett said. “I sit at this turn lane for at least 10 to 12 minutes every day.”

It’s not just the long wait, she says. It’s the amount of drivers cutting in to bypass the line, adding to the delay.

“The cars in the middle lane zoom over to the left lane and cut in,” Shiflett said.

She says the line of traffic sometimes backs up all the way to Riverview Drive, especially during evening rush hour.

Part of the issue is that there is only one left turn lane.  

Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) officials are aware of the issue, telling Spectrum News that the demand for southbound left turns far exceeds the capacity of Balm Riverview Road, leading to the backups.

However, they’ve made adjustments to the signal during evening rush hour to move as much traffic through the intersection as possible.

FDOT officials also said they’ve tried using tubular markers in areas like that to curb aggressive lane changing but that’s generally in locations with safety issues. A crash review showed only three crashes from 2018 to 2022 in that left turn lane.

Shiflett now just hopes the traffic can improve there.

“I say a prayer of thanks every time I make that turn and get off of 301,” Shiflett said.