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Connerton Boulevard

Construction, legal action on Ridge Road

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Work on the Ridge Road extension is pushing ahead even as legal action from the Sierra Club to halt construction remains active.

Attorneys for the Sierra Club recently filed a motion to add U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as a defendant in a lawsuit that was filed in February against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

The approximately 9-mile corridor would link Moon Lake Road in New Port Richey with the Suncoast Parkway, and eventually will reach U.S. 41 in Land O’ Lakes.

An aerial view shows a portion of the Ridge Road extension route beginning with Moon Lake Road in New Port Richey and linking to U.S. 41 in Land O’ Lakes. (Courtesy of Pasco County)

The extension cuts through the Serenova Tract of the Starkey Wildlife Preserve, which has been a point of contention.

Environmentalists say the road will destroy sensitive conservation wetlands and wildlife habitats. They believe the motive for the road extension is to support more growth and development.

The lawsuit alleges that Fish and Wildlife in its “biological opinion” violated the Endangered Species Act and failed to properly assess harmful impacts, specifically to the Eastern indigo snake. The lawsuit also claims the Army Corps failed to complete a legally required comprehensive analysis on impacts to the Florida scrub blue jay and the red-cockaded woodpecker.

“They are causing damage to the best preserve in Pasco County,” said Tim Martin, chair of the Sierra Club Florida’s conservation committee.

County officials say the road extension will add a vital east/west evacuation route during hurricanes and other emergencies. The route and construction seek to do minimal damage to the preserve, they say.

The Serenova Tract is part of a 1990s settlement agreement reached during litigation over construction of the Suncoast Parkway. About 200 acres were set aside to mitigate wetlands damage. Ownership transferred from the Florida Department of Transportation to the Southwest Water Management District, but preserved the right to extend Ridge Road.

Battle lines over the proposed route put county officials and environmental activists on opposing sides for more than 20 years. But, in late 2019, the Army Corps granted a construction permit.

In March, a federal judge denied a Sierra Club motion for an emergency injunction to temporarily block road construction until the lawsuit’s conclusion. The decision cited “monetary harm” to the county if work were halted.

Roadwork moved ahead.

And, in November, Pasco County commissioners approved approximately $2.7 million to purchase wetland mitigation credits due to “unavoidable wetlands impact.”

Last summer work crews completed a road segment linking Ridge Road and Town Center Boulevard, an access point for River Ridge Middle and High Schools.

Next up is building a two-lane segment between Town Center and the Suncoast Parkway, with an expected completion in summer 2021. The two-lane roadway later will be widened to four lanes by summer of 2022.

Construction is expected to begin in 2021 on the Ridge Road extension between Suncoast Parkway to the future Suncoast Boulevard. The final step would be extending Ridge Road from the boulevard to U.S. 41 at the intersection with Connerton Boulevard, the main entrance into the master-planned community of Connerton.

Construction on this segment would begin in 2022.

County officials hope to open the entire Ridge Road extension by the end of 2025.

In addition to the roadway, as many as 16 bridges will provide overpasses along the length of Ridge Road. There also will be pathways, upland wildlife crossings and fences to provide habitat connectivity, and prevent roadkill of the numerous species living in the preserve.

Work crews cleared a swath of land to prepare for construction of the Ridge Road extension.

The initial phase of the project is estimated at $93.2 million, including incentives to finish early. About $11.3 million will pay for ramps and toll equipment at the Suncoast Parkway interchange. The final phase of construction is about $36.1 million. However, county officials said the design and cost estimate of that phase will be updated by the end of 2020.

Martin said the county is moving aggressively to complete construction. If the Sierra Club prevails in its efforts to permanently stop the road extension, Martin said, “We want them to restore it to its natural state.”

Sierra Club attorney Sarah Hayter said the goal is to have the permit revoked. Though the county is spending millions, Hayter said the courts could require Pasco to restore what it has done.

A federal judge must determine if Fish and Wildlife can be added to the lawsuit, said Hayter. Representatives for Fish and Wildlife, and the Army Corps, agreed to the amended lawsuit, she said.

However, Hayter said she understood that Pasco officials planned to file an objection.

Pasco isn’t a defendant in the lawsuit, but the courts granted a request for the county to intervene on behalf of the Army Corps.

County officials declined to comment on pending litigation.

By Kathy Steele

Published December 30, 2020

Long-term planning efforts continue for Pasco’s roads

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Pasco County’s Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) will adopt a new plan, in December, pushing forward its long-term agenda for the county’s road system.

Its 2045 Long Range Transportation Plan gives an overview of what roadway modifications could be made within a 20-year span.

Wally Blain of Tindale Oliver and Kasey Cursey of AECOM, consultants who work alongside the county’s MPO, explained some highlights of the 2045 plan at a luncheon hosted by the Greater Pasco Chamber of Commerce, on Oct. 8.

Some key projects include:

  • Widening State Road 52 to six lanes, from the Suncoast Parkway to U.S. 41
  • Widening State Road 52 to four lanes from U.S. 41 to Old Pasco Road
  • Widening U.S. 41 to four lanes, from its intersection with State Road 52, heading south to Connerton Boulevard
  • Extending Ridge Road, from Moon Lake Road to the Suncoast Parkway
  • Constructing a new State Road 52 alignment, east of Interstate 75, to connect with Clinton Avenue

Improvements on State Road 54 also are planned, but how to proceed has not yet been determined.

While State Road 54 continues to be an ever-congested corridor, especially at the intersection with U.S. 41, the roadway may see new improvements in Pasco County’s 2045 Long Range Transportation Plan. (Brian Fernandes)

“We know that State Road 54 is a huge priority for the county,” Blain said. “There’s been much discussion about what would be the preferred solution or strategy for State Road 54.”

The map indicates that the Vision 54/56 plan will be evaluated for potential transit improvements, overpasses, elevated lanes and alternative intersection designs.

“[The] county and DOT (Department of Transportation) are working on the coordination of traffic signals on State Road 54,” Blain noted.

However, there are no plans to widen State Roads 54 and 56 respectively, from U.S. 41 to U.S. 301, according to the map.

Blain said: ”What we’re doing in the plan is we’re setting aside the money to do the project, and as those studies are completed, implementation can begin to happen right away.”

Currently, there is $395 million set aside for Vision 54/56 studies and improvements.

The long-range plan also proposes revamping the county’s public transportation system. That includes adding Sunday services, increasing the frequency for bus pickups and drop offs, and extending services to as late as 11:30 p.m.

“The MPO is a federally funded and mandated organization. It’s required in large metropolitan areas to do the transportation planning – where will people live and where will jobs exist, according to our crystal ball, by the year 2045,” Blain said.

Based on those projections, schematics of Pasco County were drawn showing potential road connections and widenings, as well as improvements to the transit system, he said.

Pasco County residents were surveyed in 2018 to get feedback on the MPO’s proposed plans. About 1,600 surveys were received.

Needs were identified, and then, he said, “we look at our revenues and what can we afford based on our expected revenue streams.”

Another survey was conducted for additional public feedback over the summer, to consider practical suggestions that could be implemented in the MPO’s cost-affordable plan.

While Pasco County’s transportation system receives appropriations from the federal and state levels, it also collects revenue from the county’s Penny for Pasco surtax.

The program raises funds through a one-penny surcharge for every dollar of sales tax collected by the county.

Of the portion allocated to the county, 18% goes toward transportation.

The 2045 long-range plan calls for the renewal of the Penny for Pasco program after 2024, as it currently stands.

Transportation revenues collected from federal, state and county levels are projected to exceed $7 billion from 2025 to 2045, Blain said.

Every five years, the Long Range Transportation Plan is reevaluated for potential modifications.

The 2045 plan would see slight allocation increases to specific projects in contrast to the 2040 plan.

Here are some specifics:

  • Road capacity would receive 69%, compared to 64%
  • Sidewalks and bicycle facilities would receive 3%, compared to 1%
  • Technology and congestion management also would receive 3%, compared to 1%
  • Roadway maintenance would receive 15%, compared to 9%

But, Blain also noted that transit projects would see a decline from 25% to 10%.

That decrease is due to the MPO’s assumption that there will not be any new local taxes or revenues generated toward transportation, Blain added.

The public is encouraged to engage in a 30-day comment period, starting on Nov. 1.

For more information or to give comment feedback, please visit MobilityPasco.com.

MPO public workshops
Where/When: New Port Richey Public Library, 5939 Main St., in New Port Richey (Nov. 5 from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.); Pasco County Historic Courthouse, 37918 Meridian Avenue in Dade City (Nov. 6 from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.); The Shops at Wiregrass, 28211 Paseo Drive in Wesley Chapel (day/time to be announced).
Cost: Free
Details: The Pasco County Metropolitan Planning Organization will unveil and explain to guests its roadway projections for 2025 to 2045.
Info: Visit MobilityPasco.com.

Published October 16, 2019

County continues tackling traffic issues

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Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore said there’s no specific solution in sight yet for congestion motorists face daily at U.S. 41 and State Road 54. But, the commissioner outlined a number of other projects underway that should improve mobility on the county’s roads.

Moore’s comments came during a sold-out luncheon meeting of The Greater Pasco Chamber of Commerce on Aug. 13, at the SpringHill Suites by Marriott Tampa North, in Land O’ Lakes.

There are plans for a temporary fix at U.S. 41 and State Road 54, Moore said, noting some turn lanes are being extended — which should improve traffic flow.

Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore talked about the county’s efforts to address traffic congestion, during a luncheon meeting with The Greater Pasco Chamber of Commerce. (B.C. Manion)

But, the final plan to address that intersection is not yet known, Moore said.

“We know something needs to be done, but,” he added, “funding obviously always is an issue.”

Plus, there’s not a consensus on the best approach.

“Do you use eminent domain and take out businesses? Do you do a flyover? We have a community that is split,” Moore said. “Our county staff is going to continue to work very closely with FDOT (Florida Department of Transportation) to come up with a viable solution.”

Addressing the issue is important, he added, because the entire stretch of State Road 54 is going to get busier as the area continues to grow.

“Do you look at Bus Rapid Transit? I’m kind of a fan of Bus Rapid Transit,” he said, but added he would like to see how Bus Rapid Transit has worked elsewhere.

While there’s no definite solution for the U.S. 41 and State Road 54 intersection, the county is making progress in other areas, Moore told chamber members.

The county is awaiting a federal permit to proceed with a project to extend Ridge Road, and Moore said he thinks the county is closing in on securing that.

He also talked about other road projects that are underway or planned.

For instance, plans call for widening U.S. 41 from Connerton Boulevard, north to State Road 52. Improvements also continue to widen State Road 52.

Moore also noted that construction is underway on the Diverging Diamond, a project that is expected to ease congestion at the Interstate 75/State Road 56 interchange.

State lawmakers helped get that project built much faster than originally planned, Moore said.

The commissioner also talked about a planned interchange at Overpass Road and I-75.

“State legislators helped us get $15 million toward that. It’s about a $70 million project. We’re allowing FDOT to control that project because they’re the professionals, and they know what they’re doing when it comes to design-builds.

“That is moving forward now,” Moore said.

He also noted that State Road 56 has been extended from Meadow Pointe Boulevard in Wesley Chapel over to U.S. 301 in Zephyrhills.

“That is an amazing extension.

“Now, we’re even looking at punching it (State Road 56) through, so it goes to (U.S.) 98, too,” he said, but that plan remains under discussion.

Moore also touched on the positive impact that tourism has had in the county.

“Tourism is booming right now,” Moore said.

It generated an overall economic impact of $615 million in 2018,  he said, noting the county had 965,000 visitors that year. There were 7,480 tourism-supported jobs, and tourism generated  $156 million in wages.

Published August 28, 2019

Changes recommended for Connerton’s master-plan development

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The Pasco County Planning Commission has recommended approval of changes to the Connerton Village II Master Planned Unit Development to adjust the boundaries for the regional park and elementary/middle school, and to remove the extension of the Plains Parkway north of Connerton Boulevard.

These changes are based on a land swap between Lennar Homes LLC, the Pasco County School Board and Pasco County.

The applicant also proposes to add an additional neighborhood encompassing 268 acres, adding 225 single-family units from the remaining Phase I entitlements. The changes also call for updating the Connerton Village II internal access points to reflect the pending development.

The county’s planning staff recommended approval of the changes, which they said are consistent with the previously approved land swap.

No one from the public spoke for or against the proposed changes, during the Planning Commission’s Aug. 22 public hearing on the request.

In backup materials provided to the planning commission, the county’s planners noted that the previously proposed extension of Pleasant Plains Parkway north of Connerton Boulevard would “bifurcate the new district park site and frustrate the basic purpose.”

Planners also noted that “the additional 225 units are being drawn from the remaining Phase 1 residential entitlements approved for the Development of Regional Impact. With the additional 225 units, the total aggregate units in Village II increases from 1,704 to 1,929.

The property is on the east and west sides of Flourish Drive, and the north and south sides of Connerton Boulevard.

The request is slated for public hearing before the Pasco County Commission on Sept. 18, 2019, at 1:30 p.m., in the board’s chambers at the West Pasco Government Center, at 8731 Citizens Drive in New Port Richey.

Published August 28, 2019

Construction crews busy on roadwork in Pasco County

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When it comes to construction activity on Pasco County roads, State Road 52 is a hotspot.

At least that was the message that David Gwynn, secretary for the Florida Department of Transportation’s District Seven, delivered during the North Tampa Bay Chamber’s breakfast meeting.

Gwynn briefed the audience on the state transportation department’s current and upcoming projects in Pasco, during the June 4 session at Pasco-Hernando State College’s Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch.

Construction barrels, like these, have been a familiar sight on State Road 52, as work has been done to widen the road. (File)

“We’re trying to address some of our major issues we have in the transportation system in the region,” the transportation secretary told the crowd. “The State Road 52 Corridor is one that we’ve really put a lot of money into in the last few years, and we’re going to continue to do that in the near future.”

Among the projects, the state DOT is widening State Road 52, from the Suncoast Parkway to the east of U.S. 41.

That stretch will be expanded to six divided lanes.

It is currently under design, with construction expected to begin later this year, Gwynn said.

Heading from east of U.S. 41 to west of County Road 581 (Bellamy Brothers Boulevard), State Road 52 will be expanded to four divided lanes.

State Road 52 also will be expanded to four divided lanes from County Road 581 to Old Pasco Road, with that project expected to be completed this year.

In 2020, the state DOT expects to widen U.S. 41 to a four-lane road, from just south of State Road 52 to Connerton Boulevard.

The biggest project, Gwynn said, will introduce a new State Road 52 route to U.S. 301.

That project involves widening the road to four lanes, beginning at the intersection of State Road 52 and Uradco Place, extending to the Bayou Branch Canal.

East of the canal, a brand new four-lane State Road 52 will branch off (south of existing State Road 52) and eventually will merge with Clinton Avenue.

This new alignment, expected to begin this fall, will provide an additional route from Interstate 75 to U.S. 301.

When that project is completed, the existing State Road 52 will be turned over to Pasco County to become County Road 52.

U.S. 301 is scheduled for several improvements, too.

There are plans to repave U.S. 301 from Pond Avenue to the north of Long Avenue. And, another project will widen the stretch from County Road 54 (Eiland Boulevard) to north of Kossik Road into six lanes.

David Gwynn is the secretary of District Seven for the Florida Department of Transportation. On June 4, at Pasco-Hernando State College Porter Campus in Wesley Chapel, he informed an audience about Pasco County’s new road projects. (Brian Fernandes)

Another project would expand U.S. 301 to four lanes south of State Road 56 to south of State Road 39. That two-mile project is expected to include a median, as well as a bike lane, sidewalk and a shared-use path.

Another two-fold project is under evaluation on U.S. 301, Gwynn said.

That project would expand the stretch from State Road 39 to Corey Street in Downtown Zephyrhills. Then, branching out from the Corey Street intersection would be two newly built one-way roads.

Each road would hold three lanes, run parallel to U.S. 301 and end just south of County Road 54.

Gwynn also mentioned the plans to add another entrance in Wesley Chapel from Interstate 75.

The new diamond interchange would connect Overpass Road to the interstate by way of a flyover ramp.

Overpass Road would be accommodated with two additional lanes from its intersection with Old Pasco Road to the exit ramp getting off the interstate.

From the ramp, to the intersection with Boyette Road, Overpass Road would be widened to six lanes. No start date has been determined yet, Gwynn said.

The director also revealed that Wesley Chapel is one of five areas being studied as a possible public transportation hub for traveling cross-county.

It would afford commuters traveling out of Pasco County to neighboring Hillsborough County an alternative from personal transportation.

And, Gwynn informed attendees of the new Florida legislation to build three multi-use corridors, adding new toll roads as well.

“The main purpose of them is to revitalize some of the rural communities that may have been left behind as Florida has prospered – to encourage job creation in these areas,” the director said.

One local corridor will be the Northern Turnpike Connector, which will bridge the Florida Turnpike northwest to the Suncoast Parkway.

Construction on the corridors is set for late 2022.

Gwynn also mentioned that the construction of the long-awaited diverging diamond in Wesley Chapel is still progressing.

The project, which is reconfiguring the State Road 56 bridge overpassing Interstate 75, will crisscross eastbound and westbound lanes upon reaching the bridge.

Four through lanes and two left-turn lanes will make up the westbound road on the south end of the bridge, to better accommodate heavier traffic flow. The eastbound road will hold only three lanes on the north end.

The project is still set to be completed in late 2021, Gwynn said.

Published June 12, 2019

County continues pursuit of Ridge Road Extension

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Pasco County is continuing its pursuit of a project to allow the extension of Ridge Road, and Sam Beneck, the county’s project manager, gave a briefing on the status during a Dec. 12 luncheon meeting of the North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce.

“We are currently in the design and permitting phase,” said Beneck. “We have not started any construction activities,” he told members and guests during the luncheon at the Fox Hollow Golf Club in Trinity.

At the North Tampa Bay Chamber luncheon on Dec. 12, Sam Beneck, Pasco County project manager, updates attendees on the current plans for the Ridge Road Extension. (Brian Fernandes)

The planned 9-mile project will be broken into two phases, the project manager said. Phase 1 would stretch from Moon Lake Road in New Port Richey heading east to the Suncoast Parkway. Phase 2 would run from the Suncoast Parkway to U.S. 41, in Land O’ Lakes.

The duration for the first phase is expected to be three years, but the county hopes to shorten that.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers views it as one project, and the funds for the phases will be allocated separately.

The first phase is estimated at $67.8 million. The second phase has not yet been funded.

A Suncoast Parkway interchange also is being considered. The design for that project is expected to cost $1 million, with funding from the Florida Turnpike Enterprise.

“In prior years, we have expended almost $20 million on this project,” Beneck explained. “That includes land acquisition, a fair amount of design and redesign.”

He emphasized that in working with the Corps of Engineers, the county vigorously sought the alternative that is cost efficient, while improving mobility and reducing hurricane evacuation time.

Replacing roadside slopes with walls and pedestrian rails is being considered, he said.

The project manager also said the county has been working closely with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to reduce impacts to the environment.

Pasco County and the Corps of Engineers came to a consensus in 2017 on an approach called Modified Alternative 7 as the least environmentally damaging option. It calls for partially elevating the Ridge Road Extension.

According to a traffic analysis survey, Modified Alternative 7 would also increase traffic flow and reduce evacuation time.

Under the plan, 16 bridges would be added in sensitive areas, as well as curbs and guardrails.

Specialized fencing also will be installed in areas where animals are most likely to frequent.

The county also would provide $3.2 million in compensation for environmental impacts during Phase 1.

The county also is collaborating with Duke Energy to design a new trailhead with parking and to provide access to existing hiking trails within the Serenova Preserve.

The county expects a permit decision by the Corps of Engineers by September 2019.

While the county continues to press forward on its efforts, the project continues to meet resistance.

Two of those opponents spoke at the Pasco County Commission’s Dec. 11 meeting.

Dan Callaghan, a long-time critic of the Ridge Road Extension, said that contrary to the county’s claims, the project is being pursued to promote development, not to improve hurricane evacuation.

He said the county wants to nibble to death its preserve areas and “slash our wild places to death, by a thousand cuts.”

Clay Colson, who also opposes the Ridge Road Extension, urged commissioners to protect the county’s preserves.

“You know preserve is something that means we’re going to keep it for our future generations,” Colson said.

Instead of extending Ridge Road through the Serenova Preserve, Colson said the county should extend Connerton Boulevard to the Suncoast Parkway.

Staff writer B.C. Manion contributed to the report.

Published December 19, 2018

Connerton, county and school board agree to land swap

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Pasco County, the school district of Pasco County and Pasco Investment Land LLC have agreed to a land swap in connection with a county district park in Connerton.

Pasco County owns approximately 119.7 gross acres that have been deeded for a district park in Connerton, a master-planned community in Land O’ Lakes.

The school board owns approximately 22.3 acres that is slated for a future school site, and Pasco Investment Land LLC, also referred to in the agreement as Connerton, owns the adjacent land.

Under the exchange, Pasco County has agreed to convey about 6.6 acres of upland acreage to the school board.

The county also agreed to convey about 46.8 upland acres to Connerton.

The school board has agreed to convey about 6.6 acres of upland acres to Connerton.

And, Connerton has agreed to convey approximately 53.6 upland acres to Pasco County.

The agreement also calls for Pasco County to establish a parks and recreation impact fee credit for all parkland to be retained and exchanged within 30 days of the closing.

The county also agreed to provide for a north-south drive aisle, to the east and parallel to Flourish Drive that allows for vehicular access from the future Connerton Boulevard to the northern boundary of the park site.

The land swap aims to facilitate the development of an elementary school, a middle school and a district park.

There are no immediate plans for the schools or the park, according to school district and county parks officials.

However, the school district and county do plan to share use of the park facilities once they are built.

The development of the district park “is all tied to funding,” said Keith Wiley, director of Pasco County’s Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources department.

Published July 25, 2018

Development for Gower’s Corner is one step closer

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After more than a year of back and forth negotiations, an application to rezone property at the historical crossroads known as Gower’s Corner got the approval of Pasco County’s local planning agency.

The rezoning application has been continued repeatedly since late 2016.

But, on Dec. 14 in Dade City, members of the Development Review Committee voted in favor of a project to build up to 215,000 square feet of retail/office and a maximum of 40 apartments. The committee also approved a variance related to U.S. 41 right-of-way that will be used to widen the two-lane highway to four lanes, with the potential for six lanes.

A commercial and residential development slated for the intersection of Gower’s Corner, at State Road 52 and U.S. 41, is expected to transform what has been a generally rural area of Land O’ Lakes. (File)

As part of its five-year work plan, the Florida Department of Transportation is slated to begin construction in 2020 on a segment of U.S. 41, from north of Connerton Boulevard to south of State Road 52. There also are plans to realign the intersection.

The approximately 44 acres of vacant land, identified in the rezoning as Tibbett’s Land at Gower’s Corner, is located at the southwest corner of State Road 52 and U.S. 41.

Clearwater attorney Jerry Figurski represented the property’s owners.

Construction on the proposed project likely is a few years off, and might not begin until the road widening, he said.

“It’s not clear if the Tibbetts will develop it or sell the land.”

Pasco County commissioners approved a land use amendment on the property in 2016, which was then followed by the rezoning application and the series of continuances.

Although the Development Review Committee has recommended approval, the rezoning application still needs to go before the Pasco County Commission for final approval.

The name of Gower’s Corner dates back to lumberman William Arthur Gower, who at one time owned land at all four corners of the intersection. In the late 1930s, he operated the first gasoline station and convenience store in the area.

County records show the St. Petersburg-based Tibbetts Land LLC, controlled by the Tibbetts, is owner of the southwest corner of the intersection.

Tibbetts Lumber was founded in 1949 by Linton Tibbetts. The company has five locations in Florida including its Land O’ Lakes location at State Road 54 and U.S. 41.

Published December 20, 2017

FDOT budgeting future land purchases for 54/41 project

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A local task force is expected to make recommendations next year on a traffic fix for the intersection of State Road 54 and U.S. 41, but the Florida Department of Transportation already is budgeting about $32 million for land purchases connected to the project.

The funding is slated for fiscal year 2023, as part of the agency’s five-year work plan.

Florida Department of Transportation is budgeting about $32 million for rights of way purchases in fiscal year 2023 for an as-yet-undecided project to improve State Road 54 and U.S. 41 intersection. (File)

The funding for the rights of way for the State Road 54 and U.S. 41 intersection is a conservative amount programmed in advance to give Pasco County time to do outreach, and determine the community’s vision for this project, according to FDOT spokeswoman, Kris Carson, in an email response to The Laker/Lutz News.

“The amount may be reduced or increased or we can shift the funds elsewhere if the no-build is selected,” Carson wrote.

The department also is working on interim improvements for the intersection, she added.

One anticipated project would lengthen some of the turn lanes at the intersection to improve traffic flow.

In October, the 17-member Vision 54/56 Task Force scheduled a workshop to review in more detail traffic projects that are being proposed as solutions.

The group’s options include 11 major highway and transit alternatives, as well as a no-build alternative for the intersection. Some alternatives would be at-grade re-designs with express transit lanes; others would have flyovers, and toll lanes.

The task force is expected to schedule its next public meeting in November or December. Additional public meetings into 2018 also are expected in order to complete the second of three phases of the traffic study.

The entire study includes the State Road 54/56 corridor, from Bruce B. Downs Boulevard on the east to U.S. 19 on the west. However, for the current phase of the study the focus is on two intersections: Little Road and State Road 54 in New Port Richey, and U.S. 41 and State Road 54 in Land O’ Lakes.

The Land O’ Lakes segment is getting intense scrutiny as it is among the busiest intersections, with nearly 100,000 vehicles per day.

Representatives from Pasco County Planning and Development, the county’s Metropolitan Planning Organization, FDOT and consultants are assisting in the study.

The FDOT also is expected to fund a detailed analysis and evaluation of the State Road 54 and U.S. 41 intersection, likely in 2018. MPO officials say it is the only segment included in the study that has funding.

The MPO established the task force in 2015, and started with two separate groups. One studied issues for west Pasco; the other for east Pasco.

In late 2016, a single task force, with some members from the first groups, began studying a list of potential options. They include 11 major highway and transit alternatives, as well as a no-build alternative for the intersection.

The task force initiative got underway after the FDOT proposed a flyover for the intersection, with room for express toll lanes. The project met with opposition from the community, and FDOT officials agreed to back off while a task force tried to reach consensus on what should be done.

The FDOT’s five-year work plan is updated annually.

Some projects to redesign, expand and resurface roadways are slated for 2018/19. They are:

  • Resurfacing U.S. 41 from north of Ehren Cutoff to north of Caliente Boulevard for about $2.3 million
  • Resurfacing U.S. 301 from Pond Avenue to north of Long Avenue/Pioneer Museum for about $2.3 million
  • Realignment, widening and new construction on State Road 52 from Uradco Place to west of Fort King Road for about $83.3 million
  • Widening State Road 52 from two lanes to six lanes, from west of Suncoast Parkway to east of U.S. 41 at cost of about $75 million. This also includes intersection improvements, sidewalks and 12-foot trail.
  • Right of way purchase for U.S. 41 from north of Connerton Boulevard to south of State Road 52 for about $739,000. Construction of that project, in 2020, would cost about $20.3 million.

For more information, visit FDOT.gov.

Published November 15, 2017

Pasco approves $4.6 million for Ridge Road project

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The Ridge Road extension is still on the drawing board, waiting for a permit from the United States Army Corps of Engineers.

But, at their July meeting in Dade City, Pasco County commissioners took a step forward in the nearly 19-year process of qualifying for the coveted permit.

They updated a contract with NV5 Inc., and approved about $4.6 million toward the final design and construction plan of about 8 miles of roadway that will cut through the Serenova Preserve.

If approved, the Ridge Road extension would link west Pasco County at Moon Lake Road with central Pasco at U.S. 41 in Land O’ Lakes. Currently, Ridge Road dead-ends at Moon Lake. (File)

The first phase of the project, if approved, would extend Ridge Road from Moon Lake to the Suncoast Parkway. In a second phase, the road would extend from Suncoast to U.S. 41 across from Connerton Boulevard, in Land O’ Lakes.

Environmentalists oppose the project, which they say will harm wetlands, water quality and wildlife habitats. But, county officials place a high priority on the road extension as an east/west evacuation route during emergencies.

“It’s a long time coming,” said Pasco County Commissioner Jack Mariano. “I’m glad to see we have some good momentum on building this road.”

County officials estimate that a decision on the federal permit could be known by June 2018. A month earlier, they also believe the Southwest Florida Water Management District could issue its permit.

If permits are approved, construction is scheduled to begin in July 2018.

County officials were encouraged in April, when the Corps selected one of 17 proposed routes as “the least environmentally damaging practicable alternative.”

In recent months, lobbying efforts to win approval of the federal permit have included support from U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis, Gov. Rick Scott, and the administration of President Donald Trump.

The Suncoast Sierra Club and grassroots activists with the Save the Serenova Preserve from the Road to Nowhere are organizing and gathering petition signatures to oppose the project.

The Corps of Engineers is waiting on additional information on construction and environmental impacts before making a decision.

Published July 19, 2017