Pasco County is anticipating that a four-lane divided road will be needed to accommodate future traffic on Old Pasco Road, from County Road 54 to State Road 52.
Options being considered for widening the road will be on exhibit at a community meeting this week.
County staff and consultants will be hand at the meeting to provide details, answer questions and give the public an opportunity to comment on the options being considered.

Those wishing to learn more are encouraged to drop by any time during the open house-style meeting to review aerial maps, conceptual plans of the widening and alternatives.
The meeting will be on July 28 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., at the Pasco-Hernando State College Instructional Performing Arts Center, 8657 Old Pasco Road, in Wesley Chapel.
Details about the options were provided by the county to The Laker/Lutz News.
According to that information, the county currently is performing a Route Study and Pond Siting Analysis to evaluate the impacts of widening of Old Pasco Road, within the study area.
Alternatives being considered include a typical urban section (curb and gutter) from County Road 54 to Blair Drive and an urban or suburban section from Blair Drive to State Road 52.
Improvements also will include potential signalization of several intersections, on-street bicycle lanes, a sidewalk on one side of the road, a multi-use path on the other side, and drainage improvements, according to the county.
In addition to a No Build option, there are two other alternatives under consideration.
- Alternative 1: This alternative closely matches the horizontal alignment and right of way width of the recommended alternative shown in the original Old Pasco Road Original Route Studies, which were approved by the Pasco County Commission in March 2001 and April 2003.
This option, from Country Road 54 to Quail Hollow Boulevard, applies the Urban Narrow Typical Section (100 feet of right of way) and acquires right of way along the west side of Old Pasco Road while utilizing existing slope/drainage easements.
From Quail Hollow Boulevard to Blair Drive, this alternative applies the Urban Standard Typical Section (128 feet of right of way).
From Blair Drive northward to State Road 52, it applies the Suburban Typical Section (158 feet of right of way) with a curb and gutter in the median and paved shoulders with parallel ditches on the outside.
Near the Cypress Creek High School, to avoid complete reconstruction of the existing two-lane roadway, this alternative applies a Rural Widening Typical Section (164.5 feet of right of way) with inside travel lane widening/shoulders, and milling and resurfacing of the existing travel lane/outside shoulders.
- Alternative 2: This alternative considers revised typical sections and horizontal alignments to further minimize the impacts of Alternative 1.
From County Road 54 to Quail Hollow Boulevard, this alternative applies the Urban Narrow Typical Section (110 feet minimum right of way) and acquires right of way along the west side of Old Pasco Road while utilizing existing slope easements.
From Quail Hollow Boulevard northward to State Road. 52, this alternative applies the Urban Standard Typical Section (128 feet minimum right of way).
Near the Cypress Creek High School, to avoid complete reconstruction of the existing two-lane roadway, this alternative applies the Urban Widening Typical Section (164.5 feet of right of way) with inside travel lane widening/shoulders, milling and resurfacing of the existing travel lane and construction of bike lanes and outside curb and gutter.
The alignment follows the previous 2001 and 2003 route study recommendations:
- West-shifted from County Road 54 to south of Country Club Road
- East-shifted from south of Country Club Road to south of Boom Boom Drive
- West-shifted from south of Boom Boom Drive to north of Bonnie Blue Drive
- East-shifted from north of Bonnie Blue Drive to north of Deedra Drive
- Centered/realigned to eliminate sharp curves from north of Deedra Drive to south of Sonny Drive
- East-shifted from south of Sonny Drive to 1,600 feet north of Overpass Road
- West-shifted from 1,600 feet north of Overpass Road to State Road 52
Portions of the required road right of way have already been acquired south of Overpass Road. All required road right of way has been acquired north of Overpass Road to State Road 52. Right of way for 12 of the 14 pond sites already has been acquired within the corridor.
The county currently has funding for the following phases of the project within its 10-year capital improvement program:
- Design phase: Fiscal Years 2022/2023: This is slightly behind schedule
- Right of way acquisition: Fiscal Years 2024/2025
- Construction: Fiscal Years 2026/2027
Those unable to attend the meeting can review the materials on display at bit.ly3bwVOGr.
The public is welcome to comment on the project by completing an online comment form at bit.ly/3OaDPmS.
Published July 27, 2022