With a growing sentiment from some homeowners along the State Road 54/56 corridor opposing a proposed elevated road to help with traffic congestion, the Florida Department of Transportation is ensuring those residents that such a project is far from a done deal.
FDOT District Seven secretary Paul Steinman wrote in a letter that the private company wanting to build the road — International Infrastructure Partners LLC — is only approved to study the feasibility of such a project. This includes determining the impacts to surrounding communities.
“In the second part of this process, the public is encouraged to voice their opinions about the project at one or more of three public meetings along the corridor,” Steinman said. “At each of these meetings, residents will have the opportunity to get a better idea of what the proposed project could look like.”
Those meetings, he said, are planned for this summer. However, a document shared with the Pasco County Commission in February hinted those meetings could start as early as this month.
It won’t be until after those public meetings, however, before anything is decided.
“Based on public input, alternatives will be considered,” Steinman said. “The current concept could be revised to incorporate more of a ground level facility, sections of the project could be omitted, or the choice could be made to not build the proposed project.”
Steinman also said that the FDOT will not move forward with any proposal without public support and a direct endorsement from the Pasco County Commission.
“In short, your voice matters,” Steinman said.
IIP submitted an unsolicited proposal last year to build a 33-mile elevated toll road connecting U.S. 301 near Zephyrhills and U.S. 19 in New Port Richey. They would use existing right of way along State Road 54 and State Road 56, a plan that has met with some resistance from communities along the corridor.
Such a project is expected to cost more than $2 billion, and would be a privately funded project.