After pleas from the community, the Florida Department of Transportation announced the agency will build a $300,000 traffic signal at the site of two deadly pedestrian accidents.

The signal will go right in front of Meridian Pointe Apartments near Hillsborough Avenue and 22nd Street in Tampa. It's right next to the spot where Norma Velasquez-Cabrera died as she was dodging six lanes of traffic to get to Middleton High School.

Many residents choose to cross Hillsborough Avenue instead of walking to a nearby intersection. Residents say it's a pain to walk the extra tenth or two tenths of a mile to go to the grocery store or school.

City and state leaders met with FDOT Tuesday morning to talk about the new crosswalk, and more road improvements to increase pedestrian safety on Hillsborough Avenue.

Some called for more crosswalks, while other community members suggested to slow traffic in the area.
 
The new crosswalk will take about 16 months before it's operational. Until then, officials are urging pedestrians to use marked crosswalks to ensure their safety.