A project to widen a stretch of State Road 54 in East Pasco, and to improve the road’s intersection with Eiland Boulevard and Morris Bridge Road, is making progress.
The improvement calls for two left-turn lanes on State Road 54 onto Eiland Boulevard and two through lanes heading east.
A right-turn lane, also heading eastbound, will be incorporated on the state road, turning onto Morris Bridge Road.
Heading west, State Road 54 will have one left-turn lane going onto Morris Bridge Road, a right-turn lane onto Eiland Boulevard, and two through lanes.
Also, at the intersection, a bicycle lane will run along the state road’s north and south ends, respectively.
In addition, a shared-use path will be implemented on the south end, with a sidewalk running along the north end.
Eiland Boulevard turns into Morris Bridge Road once is passes the intersection with State Road 54, and heads south.
Motorists heading north on Morris Bridge Road will have two left-turn lanes onto State Road 54.
There also will be two through lanes, including one that can be used to go straight or turn right.
Eiland Boulevard heading south will have the same setup, except that it will have a right-turn lane in addition to two through lanes.
There will be a shared-use path on the west side of Eiland Boulevard and Morris Bridge Road, and a sidewalk on the east side.
There haven’t been any lane closures yet, but in the future this could occur for three to four weeks, according to Brendan Fitterer of Pasco County.
This comes as efforts continue to widen State Road 54 in Wesley Chapel and Zephyrhills.
The 4.5-mile widening begins east of Curley Road and ends east of Morris Bridge Road. It involves widening the road from two lanes to four lanes, with a divided median.
The project is being done in phases, with the lanes at the north end — heading west — being completed first. Then the lanes on the south end — heading east — will be done, and then the divided median.
When the two westbound lanes have been paved and striped, opposing traffic will occupy these lanes, while the eastbound lanes are built, said David Botello of the Florida Department of Transportation.
This will occur over the span of six months, he said. Ninety-five percent of the utility pipe installation has been completed.
Botello added that: “We have over half of the new drainage installed and are working on constructing the new westbound lanes on the north side of the corridor, while traffic is temporarily shifted to the south in several locations throughout the project.”
The project also incorporates a sidewalk on the north side of the road and a multi-purpose trail on the south side.
Lane closures have occurred, but future closures have not been announced yet.
The intersection with Eiland Boulevard/Morris Bridge Road is a $3.8 million-project and is expected to be completed in June 2021.
The state road’s widening is a $42.5 million-project, with completion set for mid-2021.
Published November 13, 2019
