Most talk about Bannerman Road comes back to four lanes. The first construction Blueprint has scheduled is a traffic signal at the corner of Bannerman and Bull Headley Road, and the four-lane stretch on the official schedule isn't due until 2030.
For Killearn Lakes, that order is the story. The first phase of the project is an intersection on a street that leads into the neighborhood, Bull Headley Road. The widening that drew the headlines comes next, on the same schedule as a new sidewalk on Tekesta Drive.
Phase 1 is a traffic signal
The project's official name is the Northeast Corridor Connector: Bannerman Road & Meridian Greenway. Blueprint Intergovernmental Agency runs it, and RS&H is the consultant team. Blueprint's project snapshot dated October 1, 2026 splits construction into phases. Phase 1 has two parts: intersection improvements at Bull Headley Road and Bannerman Road, and a stormwater pond at the eastern end of the corridor. The snapshot has Phase 1 starting in 2026 and finishing in late 2027.
According to the snapshot, the agency is phasing the work "to reduce traffic and utility disruptions, minimize costs, and prioritize the most needed and beneficial infrastructure improvements." It also says plainly that urban road rebuilds "can take many years to complete," because utilities have to be moved, stormwater has to be handled, and drivers and residents need access throughout.
There's already been one finished piece of this program on Killearn Lakes' own streets. The Bull Headley sidewalk from Chadwick Way to the boat landing was finished in 2023.
What the Bull Headley intersection is designed to include
Blueprint's December 2021 Final Engineering Report looked at the options for this corner and chose a traffic signal. The report says the signal performed acceptably in its traffic analysis for the 2045 design year and had the better benefit/cost ratio in the intersection control evaluation. Here's what the recommended layout includes:
- A signal controlling the intersection of Bannerman Road and Bull Headley Road.
- A four-lane divided Bannerman Road with left-turn lanes through the intersection.
- Bull Headley Road kept at two lanes, widened to add left-turn lanes for northbound and southbound drivers.
- No change to access at Fire Station No. 15, plus official-use-only turnouts so emergency vehicles can cross the median.
- Ten-foot multi-use paths and crosswalks with pedestrian signals on every leg of the intersection.
That list comes from a 2021 engineering report. The September 2026 board packet says the full design is now 90% complete, so details could still be adjusted before construction drawings are final.
"Fall 2026" is still a forecast
On the calendar, it's fall now. Has work started at Bull Headley? Nothing confirmed it as of this writing.
Blueprint's June 11, 2026 board packet expected the intersection work to start in mid-2026. The September 24, 2026 update moved that to fall 2026 and said public notices about changes to traffic patterns "will be communicated as necessary." The same September packet says Blueprint is still buying right-of-way and is still procuring a contractor for the first phase. Our research found no awarded contractor and no dated notice of lane changes at the intersection.
So the start has moved by roughly a season since June, and it depends on a contractor who hasn't been announced yet. A traffic notice from Blueprint will be the clearest sign that work is about to begin.
How the rest of Bannerman gets built
The full corridor is about four miles. Blueprint's plan widens Bannerman to four lanes from Quail Common Drive to Preservation Road and adds a median with turn lanes from Quail Common Drive to Meridian Road. The plan also includes walking and biking facilities along Bannerman, the Tekesta Drive and northern Bull Headley sidewalks, the Meridian Greenway, and the Orchard Pond Trail Extension.
Here's the order in Blueprint's October 2026 snapshot:
| Piece of work | What it includes | Anticipated timing |
|---|---|---|
| Bull Headley sidewalk | Chadwick Way to the boat landing | Completed 2023 |
| Phase 1 | Bull Headley/Bannerman intersection, stormwater pond at the eastern end | Begin 2026, finish late 2027 |
| Phase 2 | Bannerman widened from Quail Common Drive to Preservation Road; Tekesta Drive sidewalk from Bannerman Road to Deer Lake | Begin 2027, finish 2030 |
| Bannerman west of Preservation Road | Remaining roadway work | Begins after Phase 2; no finish date published |
The Tekesta Drive sidewalk is the other local item to watch. It's part of Phase 2, so it's tied to the same 2027-to-2030 window as the main widening. It doesn't come with the intersection work.
You may have seen "late 2027" quoted in the news as the construction start. That date and Blueprint's fall 2026 date refer to different work. In an August 28, 2026 WTXL report, city staff said Blueprint expects to start construction in late 2027 and to finish widening the Preservation Road to Quail Common Drive stretch in 2030. That story was about the utility work that goes with the widening. The Bull Headley intersection is its own, earlier phase with its own schedule.
The pipes going in alongside the road
Widening Bannerman means Blueprint has to move the city's existing water lines. The City of Tallahassee is using that construction to install new lines. On August 26, 2026, city commissioners voted 3-2 to enter a $9.5 million joint agreement with Blueprint for a new 12-inch water main and a new 24-inch sewer force main along Bannerman Road.
City staff said the new mains would raise water pressure and improve fire protection for northeast neighborhoods. Staff also described the work as investment in the existing system for capacity, reliability, maintenance, and resiliency. Because the utility project is scheduled to be built along with the widening, the new pipes will go in during the same years as the road work. They won't come as a separate round of construction later.
Bannerman Crossings: a new restaurant and a chance to ask questions
While the road waits on a contractor, the shopping center at Bannerman and Thomasville has already changed. Hopkins Eatery opened its fourth Tallahassee location at 11 a.m. on May 20, 2026, at 3431 Bannerman Road, Suite 104, in Bannerman Crossings. It took over the space that was Rae's Restaurant, which served its final day on July 26, 2025, after nearly two years in business.
Bannerman Crossings is also the easiest place to talk with the people planning the road. Blueprint staff had a table at the September 18 Block Party at Bannerman Crossing, where residents could talk with the project team. Blueprint's September board update says staff also plan to attend the October 30 Block Party. Questions worth asking that night:
- When will the first traffic notice for Bull Headley go out?
- Has the Phase 1 contractor been selected?
- How will lanes be managed at the intersection during construction?
- Where will the Tekesta Drive sidewalk run between Bannerman Road and Deer Lake?
For anything between block parties, Blueprint lists Megan Doherty as the staff contact on the project snapshot, at (850) 219-1060.
If you're thinking about selling a Killearn Lakes home in the next few years, buyers will ask about Bannerman Road, and the timing of your listing could affect your price. Team With Titus follows this project phase by phase and can help you plan your sale around it. Let's connect: get your free home valuation or schedule a consultation.
