• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About Us
  • Videos
    • Featured Video
    • Foodie Friday
    • Monthly ReCap
  • Online E-Editions
    • This Week’s E-Editions
    • 2023
    • 2022
    • 2021
    • 2020
    • 2019
    • 2018
    • 2017
    • 2016
    • 2015
    • 2014
  • Social Media
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
  • Advertising
  • Local Jobs
  • Puzzles & Games
  • Circulation Request

The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

  • Home
  • News
    • Land O’ Lakes
    • Lutz
    • Wesley Chapel/New Tampa
    • Zephyrhills/East Pasco
    • Business Digest
    • Senior Parks
    • Nature Notes
    • Featured Stories
    • Photos of the Week
    • Reasons To Smile
  • Sports
    • Land O’ Lakes
    • Lutz
    • Wesley Chapel/New Tampa
    • Zephyrhills and East Pasco
    • Check This Out
  • Education
  • Pets/Wildlife
  • Health
    • Health Events
    • Health News
  • What’s Happening
  • Sponsored Content
    • Closer Look
  • Homes
  • Obits
  • Public Notices
    • Browse Notices
    • Place Notices

SR 54 takes big step forward

December 21, 2010 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

New Boyette Road opens, lanes shift

By Kyle LoJacono

Drivers passing through the construction site to widen SR 54 in Wesley Chapel likely noticed a big change during the last few days.
The $105.2 million project, the most expensive in Pasco County history, is widening the 3.2 miles of highway from I-75 to Curley Road to six lanes. The project passed the symbolic halfway point Dec. 15 when the traffic pattern shifted and the new portion of Boyette Road opened.

The last day of work on SR 54 before the traffic pattern shift caused some backups, but the new lanes are now open. In addition, the stoplight at the old entrance to Boyette (seen here) has been removed.

“We worked extra hours to make sure it was done by that time,” said Robert Shepherd, Pasco chief project manager. “We’re actually much further than halfway done because virtually all the utilities have been moved and only about 40 percent of the time has passed.”
The original contract called for the job to take 21 months and be done by the beginning of March 2012. Shepherd estimated more than 60 percent of the widening is finished, but hesitated to give a new completion date because, “Anything can happen in construction.”
Along with the traffic shifts, the new entrance to Boyette Road opened Dec. 15. The new street was part of the SR 54 contracted, which is being completed by Pepper Contracting Services Inc.
James Widman, Pasco chief engineer, said the new portion of Boyette was created to greatly reduce the amount of traffic on the winding Boyette Road.
“The (Pasco) commission wants to make the roads safer by straightening roads and intersections like Boyette,” Widman said. “Our engineering study of the area from (2004) showed the S-curve in Boyette to be dangerous and the project is working to create a straighter road for most of the traffic.”
The older entrance to Boyette was the easiest way for many people to get to the Wesley Chapel District Park, the largest county recreation facility in east and central Pasco. The stoplight at the older entrance has also be removed and replaced by a new traffic signal at the new intersection of Boyette and SR 54.
Shepherd said the traffic shift and opening of the new entrance of Boyette would have been done a few weeks earlier if the cold weather had not delayed things.
“You can’t do a lot of road work when it is cold,” Shepherd said. “The asphalt won’t harden and there are other problems with working in cold weather.”

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Email
  • Print

Like this:

Like Loading...

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Primary Sidebar

Search

Sponsored Content

New Community Garden Arrives at Del Webb Bexley 

March 28, 2023 By Kelli Carmack

Exciting things are happening at Del Webb Bexley, the 55+ active adult residential community just off Sunlake Boulevard, … [Read More...] about New Community Garden Arrives at Del Webb Bexley 

TPA-Parkview-Myrtle

Imagine More at Mattamy Homes’ Area Communities

March 28, 2023 By Kelli Carmack

With every new home community, Mattamy Homes demonstrates their dedication to thoughtful details and meaningful value … [Read More...] about Imagine More at Mattamy Homes’ Area Communities

More Posts from this Category

What’s Happening

04/01/2023 – Cacti and Things

Kessler’s Cacti and Things will host its annual Spring Plant Sale on April 1 and April 2 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., rain or shine, at Bearss Grove, 14316 Lake Magdalene Blvd., in Tampa. The event features thousands of plant varieties, and an assortment of specimen and collector’s plants. For information, email . For questions and directions, call 813-264-5614. … [Read More...] about 04/01/2023 – Cacti and Things

04/01/2023 – Food Truck Festival

An International Food Truck Festival will take place on April 1 and April 2 at the Tampa Premium Outlets, 2300 Grand Cypress Drive in Lutz, with more than 70 food trucks, tents and trailers, to benefit local charities. Admission is $5. For more information, call 727-674-1464. … [Read More...] about 04/01/2023 – Food Truck Festival

04/04/2023 – Friends of the Library

Friends of the (Land O’ Lakes) Library will meet on April 4 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., following its weekly Patio Book Sale from 10 a.m. to noon, at 2818 Collier Parkway. The nonprofit group supports library programs for all ages. Call 813-929-1214 for information. … [Read More...] about 04/04/2023 – Friends of the Library

04/04/2023 – Library Open House

Pasco County Libraries will host a Master Plan Public Open House on April 4 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., at the Land O'Lakes Branch Library, 2818 Collier Parkway, to gather public opinion. To learn more about the Library Master Plan, visit MyPas.co/PCLSMasterPlan. … [Read More...] about 04/04/2023 – Library Open House

04/05/2023 – Container Gardens

The Land O’ Lakes Library, 2818 Collier Parkway, will host a master gardener class on April 5 at 6 p.m. A guest speaker will discuss the ins and outs of container gardening. Participants can learn to grow flowers and herbs in convenient containers. Practical ideas and resources will be provided. Registration is online at PascoLibraries.org. … [Read More...] about 04/05/2023 – Container Gardens

04/05/2023 – Learn to French Braid

The Zephyrhills Public Library, 5347 Eighth St., in Zephyrhills, will host a “Learn How to French Braid” class on April 5 at 2:30 p.m. Amber Bruss, of The Salon on 5th, will demonstrate the techniques to style hair in a French braid. For information, call 813-780-0064. … [Read More...] about 04/05/2023 – Learn to French Braid

More of What's Happening

Archives

 

 

Where to pick up The Laker and Lutz News

Copyright © 2023 Community News Publications Inc.

   
%d bloggers like this: