is named for William J. Krome. Krome was a railroad engineer for the Florida East Coast Railway and is known for leading an expedition to survey Cape Sable for a route for the Overseas Railroad to Key West. Krome ended up mapping much of Everglades for the first time. Krome is also known for his contributions to agriculture in the area. He was a member of the Florida State Horticultural Society and operated orchards in Redland. Future - widening With increasing traffic and increasing numbers of accidents on Krome Avenue, discussions of widening the highway had begun by the 1980s. A project began in 2015 to widen the highway to 4 lanes with a median for its entire length, starting at Okeechobee Road in 2015 and with the final southern sections to start in 2019. Disapproval has arisen from Redland and Homestead, as the people living in those areas express their fear of increasing traffic changing the rural character of their neighborhoods. Farmers also worry that the widening will hinder access to the fresh produce that they sell. There are also environmental objections to the project, including light pollution from new street lights being installed for the entire length of the highway. This will change the nature of the road from a rural bypass route to a third outer loop or "beltway" of Miami after the Palmetto Expressway and the HEFT amid a burgeoning population and increasing traffic congestion, possibly putting pressure on the county Urban Development Boundary, which protects against westward encroachment into the Everglades. The first section to begin construction was the northern segment from Tamiami Trail to the Okeechobee Road terminus, followed by the middle segment from Tamiami down to SW 88 Street/Kendall Drive. Major intersections See also List of state highways in Florida List of highways numbered 997 Transportation in South Florida#Dolphin Expressway extension - Krome Avenue widening References External links SR 997 in Florida at SouthEastRoads 997 997 1983 establishments in Florida