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Ridge Road extension

Construction crews busy on area road projects

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Anyone who drives around Pasco County on a regular basis knows there aren’t many east-west roads that cut through the county’s vast expanse, and that it isn’t   a bit unusual to have to wait in traffic.

There are a number of projects, however, that are in the works, on the drawing board, or have been recently completed that are aimed at making life easier for Pasco motorists.

Of course, as more development arrives, more drivers use local roads — so complaints about “too much traffic” and “not enough roads” may persist, at least for the foreseeable future.

But, here is a look at some of what’s happening on the local transportation scene.

A diverging diamond interchange is under construction at the Interstate 75/State Road 56 interchange. The project, expected to wrap up by late 2021, aims to keep traffic flowing at the busy interchange.

Diverging Diamond Interchange
The diverging diamond interchange, currently in development, will reconfigure the current interchange at Interstate 75 and State Road 56 to improve traffic flow at a location that frequently is bottlenecked, especially during peak traffic periods. Work on the $33 million project began in January 2019 and is expected to be completed by late 2021. For more details, visit FDOTTampaBay.com/project/262/430573-1-52-01.

Ridge Road Extension
Construction is expected to begin in January on the Ridge Road Extension, a project that Pasco County has been seeking to build for two decades. The project will create a third east-west corridor in the county, extending existing Ridge Road from Moon Lake Road in New Port Richey to the Suncoast Parkway, initially, and then to U.S. 41 in Land O’ Lakes. The extension will give drivers who are heading east or west across Pasco a new option. Currently, motorists heading east and west use State Road 52 or State Road 54. It also will be another evacuation route in the event of an emergency.

However, environmentalists have expressed concern about the project. The extension will run through the Serenova Tract of Starkey Wilderness Preserve. Tim Martin, chair of the Sierra Club Florida Conservation, said this will harm the preserve’s wetlands and its animals.

Phase one of the project costs an estimated $90 million. Phase two has not been funded yet. Construction completion is scheduled for the 2025-2026 timeframe.

State Road 54 widening, Zephyrhills to Wesley Chapel
State Road 54 is being widened from two lanes to four lanes, with a divided median, between Wesley Chapel and Zephyrhills. The 4.5-mile stretch will run east of Curley Road to east of Morris Bridge Road. The $42.5-million development is expected to finish by the Summer of 2021.

Interstate 75/Overpass Road interchange
This project will create a new access point onto Interstate 75 at Overpass Road. The project includes widening Overpass Road — between Old Pasco Road and I-75 — from two lanes to four lanes. To the east, Overpass Road will be expanded to six lanes, between I-75 and Boyette Road. Off Overpass Road, Blair Drive will connect to Old Pasco Road, and Boyette Road will connect with McKendree Road. These connections with Overpass Road will create new access points between Wesley Chapel and Dade City.

A new State Road 52 corridor is expected to be built, branching off from the existing one. It will be another means of heading further east in Dade City.

New State Road 52 alignment
A new alignment of State Road 52 will provide a new way to travel east through Dade City. The new stretch of road will run south of the existing State Road 52. It will begin east of the Bayou Branch Canal and continue east to the intersection of Prospect Road and Clinton Avenue. Clinton Avenue will be widened to a four-lane road leading to Fort King Road. The existing State Road 52 also will be widened to four lanes between Uradco Place and the Bayou Branch Canal. At Bayou Branch Canal, the existing corridor will branch off into the new one.

Improvements completed in 2019 include:

Widening of State Road 52, from Bellamy Brothers to Old Pasco Road
A 1.5-mile stretch of State Road 52 has been widened from Bellamy Brothers Boulevard to Old Pasco Road. The road was widened from two lanes to four lanes, with a median. There also is a multi-use path on the north end of State Road 52 and a sidewalk on the south end. Construction on the $13.4 million project started in 2016.

State Road 56 extension
A new 6-mile extension of State Road 56 has created a new east-west corridor, between Meadow Pointe Boulevard in Wesley Chapel and U.S. 301 in Zephyrhills. The extension gives motorists an alternative to State Road 54, which also links the two communities. State Road 54 also is undergoing improvements. The State Road 56 extension is a four-lane road, divided by a median. It has a multi-purpose trail, a sidewalk and bicycle lanes. Traffic lights also were incorporated at Morris Bridge Road and U.S. 301.

The right turn and left turn lanes for eastbound traffic on State Road 54 onto U.S. 41 have been extended. The improvement aims to reduce traffic backups for motorists heading onto U.S. 41. (File)

State Road 54, turning lane improvements
The right-turn and left-turn lanes on State Road 54 have been lengthened to ease turning movements and reduce congestion. The $1.1-million project provides more room in the turning lane for motorists who are heading east on State Road 54 and intend to turn onto U.S. 41. The change reduces wait time for motorists turning north or south onto U.S. 41. Another improvement modified the median opening where State Road 54 intersects with Hunt Road. The change allows eastbound traffic on State Road 54 the option of turning onto Hunt Road or making a U-turn. It allows westbound traffic to turn off of Hunt Road, but motorists coming from that direction can no longer make U-turns.

Published January 08, 2020

Ridge Road permit coming soon, administrator says

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A permit to clear the way for the construction of the Ridge Road Extension is expected to be granted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers within the next four weeks to six weeks, Pasco County Administrator Dan Biles said.

That would signal the end of a two-decade effort to secure the federal permit needed to create a new 7.6-mile east-west connection from Moon Lake Road in New Port Richey to U.S. 41, in Land O’ Lakes.

The only way for the county to be absolutely sure it will receive the permit is for the Corps of Engineers to issue it, Biles said.

Pasco County Administrator Dan Biles
(File)

“They won’t ever tell you that you’re going to get the permit until they sign the letter on the permit, giving you the permit. They’ll never tell you, ‘Yea, you’re going to get approval on the permit’ until then. That isn’t the way the Corps works,” the administrator said.

That being said, it appears that everything is lining up toward the county obtaining the permit, Biles told those gathered at Sept. 17 breakfast meeting of The Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce at Scotland Yards Golf Club, on U.S. 301 in Dade City.

While the county awaits the permit, it is preparing to move ahead with the project.

The first phase of the project, which is funded, is from Ridge Road in New Port Richey to the Suncoast Parkway. The second phase of the extension, not yet funded, will provide a link between the Suncoast Parkway and U.S. 41 in Land O’ Lakes.

Biles told the breakfast crowd: “The construction project is actually on the street today, so we can bid that and start work the day I get the call from the Corps.

“We’ve got it set so that, I get the call from the Corps, I call public works, I call the project manager. They get our consultant out there and start removing the gopher tortoises off the right of way.

“Our surveying crew is already working on surveying the right of way,” Biles added.

The contract includes three milestones, with bonuses available to the contractor if the work is completed within certain timelines.

The Pasco County Commission approved the approach.

“It’s pretty unique. It took a lot of work in the county attorney’s office to set it up,” Biles said.

The first milestone involves providing a secondary access to River Ridge High and River Ridge Middle, before the school year begins in August 2020.

To achieve that, Biles said he would need the permit in hand, and a contractor notice to proceed, by Dec. 1.

“That’s a goal to hit that, and we can do it,” Biles said.

The second milestone is to have two lanes of Ridge Road open to the Suncoast Parkway, and to have the interchange operational before Hurricane Season 2021, Biles said.

“So, we’re going to get there, open up two lanes, we’re going to breathe and relax for about 30 seconds, then they’re going to finish the other two lanes, finish the project by the next hurricane season,” the administrator added.

Biles said he wants to get the first two lanes open as quickly as possible, to get traffic onto it to the Suncoast Parkway.

That will provide another hurricane evacuation route, and will open up the west-central area of the county to within a “commutable distance” of downtown Tampa, Biles said.

It also would be good timing, in conjunction with a new $191 million expansion campus that Moffitt Cancer Center wants to create in Pasco County.

Moffitt recently announced it would be asking the state Legislature to increase Moffitt’s share of the state’s cigarette revenue from 4% to 10% to support an expansion of its facilities in Hillsborough County, and to provide for a new campus in Pasco County.

The project would allow Moffitt to meet future demand for cancer therapies, create a research park that would be a magnet for biotech partners, and expand its services in the Tampa Bay region, according to information provided by Moffitt.

Published September 25, 2019

Ridge Road Extension granted modifications, added funds

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The Pasco County Commission has approved a revision to the Ridge Road Extension project – to provide additional funding and services connected to the project.

The board approved a change order on Aug. 6 to pay for post-design assistance from the project engineer, and to analyze possible impacts to gopher tortoises.

The county also is allocating an additional $1.4 million toward the first phase of construction, which extends Ridge Road from Moon Lake Road in New Port Richey east to Suncoast Parkway. Phase one also includes modifications to the Parkway Interchange.

Plans are still underway to extend Ridge Road beyond its intersection with Moon Lake Road to U.S. 41. The new corridor will create a new east-west connection for motorists. (Brian Fernandes)

The second phase of the project extends Ridge Road from the Suncoast Parkway to U.S. 41 in Land O’ Lakes. That has not yet been funded for design or construction.

The revision approved in the change order requires that during the post-design phase, the engineer oversees any issues that arise with the construction plans or its documentation, while keeping the county informed of these matters.

The engineer also will be responsible for the project’s computer-aided design and drafting files. This software is vital to the construction phase and may be subject to changes, per county request.

The engineer also must address any changed conditions to construction in a “timely manner” and review changes proposed by the contractor, according to the county.

The change order also includes the surveying, permitting and possible relocation of gopher tortoises.

“The tortoises that are identified to be within the construction area, including those within the (Starkey Wilderness) Preserve, will be relocated based on guidance from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission,” said Sam Beneck, Pasco County project manager. “The tortoises must be relocated to an approved relocation site.”

These animals are protected by law and this process is usually included in the construction contract.

But, in an effort to accelerate the timetable for completing the extension, the process will be handled by the project’s design and permitting team.

However, the tortoises cannot be relocated until a permit has been obtained from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Construction cannot commence, either, without clearance from the Army Corps.

“The funding has not been the holdup for the project,” Beneck explained. “It’s really been the permitting issues.”

Pasco County and the Army Corps have been trying to reach an agreement for years.

Various options have been considered and the one that has been selected calls for partially elevating the Ridge Road Extension, as well as adding 16 bridges, curbs, guardrails and fencing to protect wildlife.

Beneck estimated that these measures will reduce impacts by nearly 83 percent to the wetlands in the Serenova Tract of Starkey Wilderness Preserve.

Environmentalists have battled the road extension, citing the negative impacts it will have on the Serenova Tract.

The current design shows a two-lane road opening from Moon Lake Road to the Suncoast Parkway before the 2021 hurricane season.

The road would be expanded to four lanes the following year, and possibly to six lanes in the future, Beneck said.

When the Army Corps issues its permit for the project, it will be for both phases of the extension, Beneck said.

Published September 11, 2019

Laker/Lutz News captures seven Florida Press awards

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The Laker/Lutz News brought home a total of seven reporting and photography awards from the Florida Press Association 2018-2019 Weekly Newspaper Contest.

Staff photographer Christine Holtzman, and freelance contributors Richard K. Riley and Fred Bellet accounted for five of those awards.

The Laker/Lutz News received seven awards at the Florida Press Association 2018-2019 Weekly Newspaper Contest at The Vinoy Renaissance St. Petersburg Resort & Golf Club on July 12. Attending the luncheon, from left, were Kevin Weiss, Kathy Steele, B.C. Manion, Brian Fernandes and Christine Holtzman. They were accompanied by Diane Kortus, owner and publisher of The Laker/Lutz News. (Diane Kortus)

Holtzman won first place feature photo for an image she captured of a young girl from Land O’ Lakes, eyeing a giant bubble.

“This entry  has everything I want to see in a pic,” the judge wrote. “Focal point into bubble is spot on. The colors pop. Her concentration is on point. What’s not to love? Great job. Seriously perfect photo.”

Holtzman also won second place for a collection of photos, which included a sunset over an East Pasco pasture, a couple dancing at a Latin Festival, a color war at a Lutz church, a blessing of the pets at a Dade City church and the little girl with the bubble.

Riley won first place photo series for a wide selection of images he captured at the Pasco County Fair.

“These photos bring a reader right into the heart of the fair. The lights, the games, the rides and entertainment. Nice variety,” the judge wrote. “Special kudos on the delayed exposure and the sunset shots. Beautiful photos that are clear and crisp, and really tell a story.”

Bellet won second place photo series for images he captured of ukulele players enjoying a jam  at Ukulele Brand’s in Land O’ Lakes. The judge appreciated “the sheer joy of these photos,” and added, there were “some great angles coupled with interesting subject matter.”

Bellet also won second place in the sports photo category for his image of a jubilant reaction after a championship victory secured by Academy at the Lakes.

Staff writers Kathy Steele and Brian Fernandes teamed up on a series of stories about the Ridge Road Extension to win a third place in the roads and transportation category. The judge noted the reporters’ “extensive coverage” on the topic.

Staff writer Kevin Weiss also claimed a third place in the education feature category for his story entitled, “This summer camp offers insights into solving crimes,” based on a summer camp offered for youths by Saint Leo University in St. Leo.

The competition drew a total of 1,386 entries from 56 weekly newspaper. Experienced editors and publishers from Arizona, California, Colorado, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Pennsylvania and New York judged the entries.

The awards were presented on July 12 during a luncheon at The Vinoy Renaissance St. Petersburg Resort & Golf Club.

Published July 17, 2019

Ridge Road project to open in 2020?

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A portion of the Ridge Road Extension — a project Pasco County officials have wanted for 20 years — could open in time for the beginning of the 2020 school year.

The Pasco County Commission heard an update on the project during its April 8 meeting in Dade City.

The proposed Ridge Road Extension spans  7.6 miles, reaching from Moon Road to U.S. 41, in Land O’ Lakes.

Margaret Smith, the county’s engineering services director, told commissioners that county staff, and representatives from the Florida Turnpike Enterprise and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have been meeting weekly. The Turnpike is a co-applicant on the project with the county.

“We get together and talk about the issues of this project, just to make sure we keep it moving forward, just because it is an essential addition to our east-west grid in Pasco County.

“Just recently, we had the biological assessment and Fish and Wildlife both agreed that there was no issues with the permit,” Smith said.

Sam Beneck, the county’s project manager for the Ridge Road Extension, outlined a potential timeline for the project.

“We anticipate that by July 15, we’ll have completion of the Fish and Wildlife Service consultation. That represents the largest single task, in terms of time commitment, that remains on this project. It’s obviously outside of the county’s, the Turnpike’s and the Army Corps’ hands. It  really depends on the Fish and Wildlife Service.

“Beyond that, we’re looking at the start of September, an environmental assessment and statement of findings to be completed by the Army Corps. We anticipate that they will be working on that before the Fish and Wildlife consultation is done, so hopefully the consultation completes, they can complete their statement of findings and then we’re really looking forward to a Sept. 23 permit decision.

“This is based on our best available information,” Beneck said.”

Assuming that the permit is issued, the county is proposing a bidding approach that would reward early completion by $15,000 a day and charge $15,000 a day for every day the project is late. That approach will be brought back to the board for formal approval, he said.

“We’ve distilled that to three milestones,” Beneck said. “The contractor will not earn or lose their entire incentive based on one day. It will run incrementally, and we’re using that same $15,000 per day.

“Our first milestone, as an example, would be completion of four lanes of Ridge Road, between Moon Lake Road and Town Center Boulevard.

“That would provide a second entrance and exit to that (River Ridge Middle and River Ridge High) school facility. That is a major challenge in the afternoon. That would be completed by Aug. 10, 2020,” Beneck said, noting that is the first day of school.

“If they complete it on Aug. 10, then there’s zero dollars, between the contractor and the county based on that.

“For every day in advance, they’ll earn incentive and for every day after, they’ll lose that disincentive, that $15,000 a day.

“So, if they come in 13 days early, they’ll get a full $195,000 incentive; and if they’re 13 days late, they’ll be charged that disincentive,” Beneck said.

The next milestone is a two-lane opening that would allow two-way traffic between Moon Lake and the Suncoast Parkway by May 31, 2021, which would be prior to the 2021 Hurricane Season.

“This is our largest incentive, that $1.5 million,” Beneck said. “ Again, it’s not make or break on one day. If they’re a little bit late, they’ll be charged for being late, and if they’re early, they’ll start to earn that incentive.”

The third milestone is the overall completion of the project, which would be by May 31, 2022, the beginning of the 2022 Hurricane Season. Again, incentives and disincentives would be used. The maximum incentive/disincentive for this milestone would be $705,000.

Beneck told commissioners: “We started working very closely with the attorney’s office, with the purchasing office, to make sure that everything that we’re doing is defensible. Once that review is complete, we anticipate bringing the package to the board, as its own item, discuss it with you all, make sure you understand it and concur with the strategy.”

Another idea is to delegate authority to County Administrator Dan Biles, so he can sign the contract and issue the notice to proceed.

County Commissioner Mike Moore told Biles, “Dan, I like your idea of incentivizing being ahead of schedule and disincentivizing being behind schedule.”

He thinks the county should consider the same approach when it proceeds with the Interstate 75/Overpass Road interchange project.

County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey praised the effort to get the road opened in the vicinity of River Ridge Middle and River Ridge high schools.

“My kids all went to River Ridge Middle and High School. And, I can tell you, on the middle school dance, middle school prom, whatever, that traffic backs up way down Ridge Road. It takes a couple hours to get in to pick up your kid and drop them off. It’s a nightmare. So, this is going to be so wonderful for that high school and middle school.”

Starkey also wants to be sure the county pursues the opportunity to have a trailhead at the Suncoast Expressway.

“There is land there that is not part of Serenova that is land that was used by the Department of Transportation to build their borrow pits. They carved it out and then they gave it back to SWFMD (Southwest Florida Water Management District). We were told by SWFMD years ago that we could use that as a trailhead. It’s high and dry.”

Beneck told Starkey: “Yes, we are coordinating with the water management district on that, as well as a lot of other opportunities.”

Biles noted the trailhead is not part of the current set of construction documents.

Beneck said that’s correct, but the discussions are “laying the groundwork for those facilities in the future.”

Mariano praised the county’s staff for the progress it is making toward making the Ridge Road Extension a reality, singling out Biles for his contributions.

Biles told commissioners: “We’re cautiously optimistic that we’ll be moving forward on this, late this summer.”

Ridge Road Extension, projected schedule
July 15: Fish and wildlife service consultation complete
Sept. 9: Environmental assessment and findings
Sept. 23: Permit decision and construction notice to proceed
October: Construction celebration ceremony

Potential construction schedule
August 10, 2020: Completion of four lanes between Moon Lake Road and Town Center Boulevard
May 31, 2021: Two lanes between Town Center Boulevard and Interchange, and four lanes through Interchange area to end of project
May 31, 2022: Phase 1 project completion

Published April 17, 2019

Pasco creates Ridge Road Extension website

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Pasco County’s engineering service department has created a website that tracks progress of the proposed Ridge Road Extension project.

The website (bit.ly/RidgeRoadProject) provides information about the history of the project, a project overview, current activities, a project fact sheet and the latest information.

The road is intended to improve east-west roadway capacity and enhance overall mobility within the area bounded by State Road 52 to the north and State Road 54 to the south, U.S. 41 to the east and Moon Lake Road, Decubellis Road and Starkey Boulevard to the west, according to the website.

The project will also provide additional roadway capacity and improved routing away from coastal hazard areas, and improve hurricane evacuation clearance times in the event of a hurricane or other major weather-related occurrence, the website adds.

The county has sought approval for the road project for about two decades. The proposed 8-mile extension would link Moon Lake Road in West Pasco to U.S. 41 in Land O’ Lakes.

The county has identified the road extension as a priority, but it continues to face opposition because a part of the project would cut through a portion of the Serenova Preserve.

Detailed construction plans are being prepared and are anticipated to be completed prior to the permit decision.

The county expects a permit decision by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in late Summer 2019, according to the website.

Published August 29, 2018

Pasco County approves 2018 budget

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Pasco County commissioners approved a $1.3 billion budget for fiscal year 2018, which begins Oct. 1.

The budget is slightly less than the 2017 budget, but still has new expenditures for parks, boat ramps and the proposed Ridge Road extension.

Pasco County Commissioner Jack Mariano (File)

County commissioners had a final public hearing, and vote, on the new budget on Sept. 26 in New Port Richey.

There will be no change in the existing millage rate, which determines property taxes.

However, some homeowners could see a slight increase of less than $10 in their annual tax bill, based on a 2.1 percent increase in homesteaded property values.

Pasco saw about a 7.7 percent increase in assessed taxable property, with a value of about $24.6 billion. Much of that was fueled by new construction.

Expenditures for 2018 include $2.5 million to buy right of way needed for the Ridge Road extension, and $1 million for design and engineering of the interchange at Suncoast Parkway.

Pasco County Commissioner Jack Mariano was uncomfortable with the county bearing those costs, when the Florida Turnpike Authority previously agreed to pay for the interchange.

“Let’s make sure we’re getting the turnpike authority to pick up all this money, not us,” he said.

The Ridge Road extension is awaiting a decision from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for a construction permit. The road project has lingered for nearly 19 years.

Pasco puts a high priority on the extension to create a new east/west route and a hurricane evacuation option. Environmentalists oppose the project for its intrusion into wetlands in the Serenova Preserve.

Other expenditures include about $8.1 million to the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office to pay for a third year of promised salary increases for deputies, as well as equipment and new job hires.

County employees will receive a 4 percent salary increase.

About $15 million is earmarked for the Wiregrass sports complex, which will be funded with a $20 million loan. The remaining $5 million of the loan will pay for boat ramps.

The county is relying on a 2 percent increase in the county’s tourism tax (for a total of 4 percent) as collateral for the loan.

There also is $4.5 million for a district park at the master-planned community of Connerton, off Land O’ Lakes Boulevard.

The Wesley Chapel District Park will get about $2 million for upgrades, including installation of bleacher canopies for baseball fields and the design of a community center.

The center would be built in 2019.

The $2 parking fee at county parks will be ended, with the county boosting the parks budget about $320,000 to cover the lost revenue.

About $1.5 million will be spent for upgrades and maintenance at county parks that are in danger of being closed due to disrepair.

A special disaster fund of $1 million will be created to take advantage of matching fund opportunities with the Federal Emergency Management Administration.

Such grants are geared toward projects that provide mitigation for future disasters, not current recovery efforts from Hurricane Irma, said Dan Biles, the county’s administrator.

Published Oct. 4, 2017