The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Moon Lake Road

Pasco officials await final word on state appropriations

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Pasco County officials were awaiting word early this week on the fate of a proposed $14 million appropriation to help cover the costs of the completion of the Ridge Road extension.

State lawmakers were set to have their final vote on the budget on March 14, which was after The Laker/Lutz News went to press.

Even if the appropriation was approved, Gov. Ron DeSantis has until June 30 to act on the budget, which becomes official on July 1.

The one-time $14 million appropriation is being sought to help pay for the final phase of the Ridge Road extension, which ultimately creates a connection between Moon Lake Road, in New Port Richey to U.S. 41, in Land O’ Lakes.

Pasco officials have lobbied for the state spending. They say Ridge Road provides a needed hurricane evacuation route for coastal residents. They also tout the project’s ability to improve mobility within the county, by creating another east-west traffic corridor, in addition to state roads 52 and 54.

Plus, the project, which is due for completion in 2025, is expected to have a positive impact on economic development.

It is viewed as a critical piece of infrastructure to support the development of Moffitt Cancer Center’s planned 775-acre acre in Central Pasco.

Besides awaiting word on the appropriation, Pasco County officials are pushing for an agreement with Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise, to allow traffic to head northbound  from Ridge Road to the Suncoast Parkway.

The county board had authorized County Administrator Dan Biles to pursue an agreement that would allow the county to temporarily pay for tolls on the Suncoast Parkway — to accommodate the complete opening of the Ridge Road extension at that interchange.

The agreement is needed because Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise must collect tolls for users on the toll road.

But Commissioner Mike Moore and Biles reported to the board that no progress had been made because the county had not heard back from Turnpike Enterprise.

With that, the county board voted to authorize a letter to be sent to the governor, seeking prompt action.

Meanwhile, Commission Chairwoman Kathryn Starkey reached out to David Gwynn, secretary of the District 7 office of the Florida Department of Transportation.

Gwynn reached out to an official at Turnpike Enterprise, and he was assured that action would be taken later that day or the next day.

Once that agreement is reached, the interchange is expected to be fully opened within a week, according to county staff.

In another action on March 8, the county board approved a change order to the professional services agreement with NV5 Inc., in the amount of amount of $701,994.70 for fiscal year 2022, to provide additional design, permitting, utility coordination, and bid services for Phase 2b of the Ridge Road extension, from Sunlake Boulevard to U.S. 41.

Details of the change order were spelled out in the board’s agenda packet. The item was approved as part of the board’s consent agenda, meaning there was no public comment and it was approved with other agenda items, in a single action.

Approval of the change order will result in a cumulative subtotal amount of $1,391,724.70 for Phase 2b of the project and a cumulative total amount of $16,143,847.99 for all phases of the Ridge Road extension, from Moon Lake to U.S. 41.

On Dec. 8, 2020, the board approved a change order with NV5 for design services and CSX coordination for the Ridge Road Extension Phase 2b project.

The design services were limited to roadway plans up to 60% completion and structural plans up to 90%, which was the minimum necessary for the coordination with CSX.

The change order was awarded for the not-to-exceed amount of $689,730 for FY 2021.

The change order approved on March 8 will add funds to complete the design of Ridge Road Extension Phase 2b.

That includes the development of signing and marking plans, signalization plans, landscaping plans, completion of roadway plans, drainage plans and permitting, and utility coordination. The change also adds a time extension of 150 days from Oct. 8, 2022 to March 7, 2023.

Published March 13, 2022

Deal calls for Pasco to pay tolls

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The Pasco County Commission has approved an agreement to temporarily pay for tolls on the Suncoast Parkway — to accommodate the complete opening of the Ridge Road extension at that interchange.

The agreement is needed because Florida’s Turnpike Authority must collect tolls for users on the toll road, according to background materials in the county board’s Feb. 8 agenda packet.

The county opened two lanes of the Ridge Road extension, between Moon Lake Road/Decubellis Road and the Suncoast Parkway on Dec. 31.

“Two interchange ramps were opened, the ramp from Ridge Road to southbound Suncoast Parkway and the off-ramp from northbound Suncoast Parkway onto Ridge Road. The two remaining ramps (the on-ramp from Ridge Road to northbound Suncoast Parkway and the off-ramp from southbound Suncoast Parkway to Ridge Road) remain closed as a result of equipment backorders, which are preventing the completion of the toll sites along these ramps.

“Work is now nearing completion on all ramps between Ridge Road and the Suncoast Parkway. “However, due to supply chain delays, not all of the toll equipment has been delivered for installation,” according to the agenda packet.

“The county has found it to be in the best interest of the public to open the full interchange as soon as possible,” the packet adds.

Negotiations for the agreement are in progress. The provisions of the agreement address the method by which tolls will be estimated for the period of time that the toll equipment and its installation is delayed, which is expected to be two months or longer.

The amount of the tolls to be paid by the county will be based on the Florida Turnpike Enterprise’s traffic counters’ estimates of the number of vehicles that use the ramps during the period when no toll equipment is operational.

The county’s financial obligations are expected to potentially include payment to the turnpike enterprise for one-time costs of traffic counting equipment setup, data processing, and pickup , estimated at about $4,000.

The county also will pay recurring costs of traffic count collection and scheduled maintenance of the equipment, estimated at $1,300 per week, until the tolls are operational.

Additionally, for each vehicle detected by the traffic counters utilizing the ramps while the tolling sites are not operational, the county will pay the turnpike enterprise the blended average toll rate of 33 cents per vehicle.

The total of all of these payments is estimated at $55,000 based on a nine-week period before the tolls will be operational.

However, any delays could require the county board to consider the issue again.

The agreement is subject to review and approval by the county attorney’s office for legal sufficiency.

Published February 23, 20222

Work is moving ahead on area road projects

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Construction has restarted on a widening project on State Road 54, from east of Curley Road to east of Morris Bridge Road.

Cone & Graham has been awarded the contract to complete the project.

It began work on Jan. 10. Activities in the first few weeks will involve cleanup, surveying, and other tasks needed to safely resume construction, according to the Florida Department of Transportation’s District 7 website.

The $42.5 million project involves widening the existing two-lane road to a four-lane road with medians, the website says. A sidewalk will be built on the north side of the road and a 10-foot wide multi-use trail will be built on the south side.

The work stopped after the original project contractor notified FDOT on July 28, 2021, that it was stopping work on the project. The FDOT declared that contractor in default on Aug. 3.

FDOT projects have contract bonds issued by a surety company, which is a contract requirement. The surety company was required to obtain a completion contractor, which is Cone & Graham.

In other transportation-related news, a 4.2-mile section of the Ridge Road extension is now open, from Moon Lake Road to the Suncoast Parkway.

The other two lanes of the initial segment are expected to be finished later this year, and the second leg of the extension will extend the road to U.S. 41 in Land O’ Lakes.

That is expected to be completed in 2025, but could be done sooner if efforts by Pasco County leaders to seek $14 million in state funding during this legislative session are successful.

During the county board’s Jan. 11 meeting, Commissioner Mike Moore told his colleagues that he’d been up to Tallahassee to advocate for support for the funding and said he would be making another trip there to continue the push.

At the same meeting, County Administrator Dan Biles told the board that the northbound ramps onto Ridge Road should be open in February.

“We’re working on getting some equipment in place. As soon as the southbound ramps were open, we wanted traffic on it. So, that’s why there’s a different timeline for both of those,” he said.

He expects that segment of the road project to be completed in either late summer or the fall.

Biles said he hopes the county will be able to go out to bid for the extension over to U.S. 41 later this year.

However, Biles noted: “That will depend on whether or not we get part of the legislative ask, to help accelerate that piece.”

Published January 26, 2022

After decades of waiting, Ridge Road extension to open this month

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It has been more than two decades in the making — but the first segment of the Ridge Road extension is expected to open this month.

Don’t expect great fanfare to accompany that opening, though.

“The plan is, the second it can open to traffic, it will open to traffic, and we will have a big event at some point, after that day,” Pasco County Administrator Dan Biles told the Pasco County Commission on Dec. 7.

“Now, we may do some kind of small parade that day, but nothing big,” Biles added.

Biles explained that he’s not going to delay opening the road simply to schedule a celebration. It takes time for those things because it involves coordinating “a ton of different calendars,” he added.

The first leg of the extension will carry traffic from Moon Lake Road in New Port Richey to the Suncoast Parkway in Land O’ Lakes.

The second leg, which is slated for completion in 2025, will extend Ridge Road to U.S. 41 in Land O’ Lakes.

The completion date for the second leg might be accelerated, if the Florida Legislature provides additional funding for the project.

Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore recently announced that he had asked State Rep. Ardian Zika and State Sen. Ed Hooper to sponsor legislation seeking $14 million for the project, adding they both have agreed to do so.

County officials have pushed for the extension for decades, justifying the need for it to provide an additional east-west hurricane evacuation route.

The new 9-mile extension, once completed to U.S. 41, also will relieve traffic on State Road 52 and State Road 54, the only two through east-west roads that carry traffic across the county.

The extension also will support the area’s burgeoning growth.

A huge development known as the Angeline community will be rising on thousands of acres, south of State Road 52 and west of U.S. 41.

The future growth includes a 775-acre Pasco campus planned by Moffitt Cancer Center, near the Ridge Road and Suncoast Parkway interchange.

Moffitt’s campus is expected to become a magnet for life sciences research.

The county’s elected leaders and economic development experts also expect Moffitt’s development to have a transformative effect on the area’s future development and to generate thousands of jobs.

Leadership from Pasco County Schools and Moffitt already foresee great possibilities of working together when the district builds its planned 6-12 STEAM school on land near Moffitt’s planned campus. The acronym STEAM stands for science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics.

Published December 15, 2021

Pasco officials: Open Ridge Road extension ASAP

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Pasco County officials are pushing to open the Ridge Road extension to the Suncoast Parkway interchange, as soon as the road is ready.

But Pasco County Commissioner Jack Mariano said that Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise may want to delay the opening.

“They may not have the tolling equipment in place. They may hold back, opening the road,” Mariano told his colleagues, during the board’s Nov. 9 meeting.

“If they don’t have the toll stuff on the roads ready, I think you guys agree, we should just open the road. Let the people start traveling. It’s the people’s money that built it, one way or the other, anyway. Let’s get it going,” Mariano said.

Commissioner Mike Moore agreed, putting it this way: “We need to open this, in the first of December. If they want to continue with holding this up, I will be out there with an orange vest and a flag. And, I’m the last person they want to see on that road, directing traffic every day.”

County Administrator Dan Biles told the board there are efforts underway to persuade Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise to change its position.

“The road is on the verge of being ready for traffic. We expect sometime in the next 30 days, the road — to include the interchange at the Suncoast (Parkway) — to be ready for traffic,” Biles said.

That would extend Ridge Road from Moon Lake Road all of the way to the Suncoast Parkway interchange.

“The one thing holding up finishing it up is the tolling equipment on the north side of Ridge Road —not, on the south side, because there’s a gantry on the south between Ridge and (State Road) 54, that already exists, already tolls at $1.07 a passenger vehicle.

“That tolling equipment (on the north side) may not be in until sometime next spring,” Biles said.

“Right now, the tolling authority is saying, ‘Hey, we want to wait until that’s in, to open it.’”

But Biles said the county’s position is and has been: “No. The second we can put traffic on Ridge Road and the interchange, we need to put traffic on Ridge Road and the interchange.

“Once it’s ready, it should be opened,” Biles reiterated. “It’s an immediate traffic reliever.”

If discussions don’t resolve the issue, the board authorized Commission Chairman Ron Oakley to write a letter to the Turnpike Enterprise, and others that he and Biles identify, to try to get the road opened as soon as possible.

In a related note, Moore told his colleagues that he has requested Rep. Ardian Zika and State Sen. Ed Hooper to  file a state appropriation request for $14 million to support phase two of the Ridge Road extension over to U.S. 41.

Both legislators have agreed to seek the funding, Moore said, which would speed completion of that segment.

“Hopefully, we’ll be hearing some good news, during the (legislative) session,” Moore said.

In other area roadwork news, the construction company Cone & Graham is expected in coming weeks to begin doing the completion work on a widening project on State Road 54, from Curley Road to Morris Bridge Road, according to an update from the District Seven office of the Florida Department of Transportation.

The construction company also will be doing work for Pasco County, at Eiland Boulevard, according to the information from FDOT.

Construction work on the widening of State Road 54 was halted by the previous construction company and the surety company is responsible for bringing the work to completion through a conclusion contractor.

Published Nov. 24, 2021

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

Wetlands’ impact costs $2.7 million

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Pasco County will pay about $2.7 million to buy wetland mitigation credits related to construction of the Ridge Road extension.

The Pasco County Commission approved a resolution for the payment to EIP (Ecosystem Investment Partners LLC) and the Old Florida Wetland Mitigation Bank during the county board’s Nov. 17 meeting.

The resolution described the payment as due to “unavoidable wetland impacts.”

Ridge Road is under construction but remains embroiled in a lawsuit filed by the Sierra Club against the United States Army Corp of Engineers. The federal agency approved the road’s permit after a controversy spanning more than two decades about its construction.

The Sierra Club alleges that the Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service relied on a faulty, outdated environmental report that omitted impacts to some endangered and threatened species.

County officials describe the road as a necessary addition to the county’s emergency evacuation routes.

Environmentalists have said the county wants the road to accommodate additional  development along the road’s pathway.

The road extension is intended to provide an east-west pathway from Moon Lake Road in New Port Richey, to U.S. 41, also known as Land O’ Lakes Boulevard, in Land O’ Lakes.

Published December 16, 2020

Ridge Road construction moves forward

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By summer, motorists could take their first spins along the initial segment of the Ridge Road extension from Moon Lake Road/DeCubellis Road to Town Center Boulevard.

“We’re hoping we open that leg by the start of August, for the start of the school year,” said Sam Beneck, Pasco County’s property manager. “They are pulling out all the stops to get it done. It’s going to be a real challenge.”

The roadwork is expected to ease traffic for River Ridge high school and middle school along Town Center.

This aerial view shows the area where Ridge Road construction will begin at Moon Lake in west Pasco County. (Courtesy of Pasco County)

This short jog forward is the beginning of a two-phased road project, with a final completion date in 2025. By then, the approximately 8.6-mile extension of Ridge Road, from west to east, is expected to cross over Suncoast Parkway and come out at U.S. 41, opposite an entrance into the master-planned community of Connerton in Land O’ Lakes.

Pasco County officials celebrated the kick-off to Ridge Road’s extension in January. It was the culmination of more than two decades of pushing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to issue a permit that would allow the new road to cut through sensitive environmental land in the Serenova Tract of the Starkey Wilderness Preserve.

For years, county officials identified the east/west route as an essential evacuation route during hurricanes and other emergencies. They expect it to take pressure off existing east/west routes of State Road 52 and State Road 54, and cut evacuation times down by hours. In addition, traffic capacity is expected to increase by 10%.

“It’s really to improve traffic capacity and east/west access to improve hurricane evacuations,” said Beneck. “We really, really see it as a significant evacuation improvement with multi-hour benefits in reaching our evacuation goal and traffic capacity. There was never another alternative that provided these benefits.”

Environmentalists suggest that the north/south route of U.S. 19 makes more sense for evacuations, and would avoid harm to the Serenova.

“We need to maintain our natural systems and forests to mitigate against climate change,” said Tim Martin, conversation chairman for the Sierra Club Florida. “We just need to leave our natural systems and keep our preserves preserved.”

Sierra Club Florida Conservation filed a lawsuit against the Army Corps in February in the U.S. Middle District of Florida. However, a judge denied an emergency injunction to stop the roadway. Pasco County, which is not a defendant in the lawsuit, was granted permission to intervene in the case.

The Sierra Club alleges that the Army Corps violated the National Environmental Policy Act and failed to adequately evaluate the harm to threatened and endangered species within the Serenova, and to their habitats and wetlands.

Martin said county taxpayers need to understand they could be the losers if the lawsuit is successful and Pasco is ordered to restore wetlands that the roadway is destroying.

Beneck said the county is sensitive to the impacts to the Serenova. County staff and the Fish and Wildlife Commission have provided guidance on mitigation efforts, including relocating gopher tortoises found on site.

The court date is pending.

When completed, the roadway through the Serenova will have 16 bridges that cross over wetlands, and wildlife crossings at 15 of those bridges.

Landscaping and multi-use paths will be installed with nature overlooks that allow for relaxation and observation.

The total estimated cost of the project is more than $149 million, with the largest share – about $93.2 million – paying for phase one from Moon Lake to the Suncoast. Suncoast to Sunlake is estimated to cost about $12.7 million. Funding sources for the $44 million final segment from Sunlake to U.S. 41 are identified and will be budgeted in the fiscal year 2023, based on revenue estimates and projections, according to county officials.

The Florida Turnpike Authority will fund the new interchange at Ridge Road and the parkway.

The interchange and surrounding land are attracting new development.

Lee Moffitt Cancer and Research Institute recently purchased about 775 acres for a future research hub near the interchange.

Lennar, which sold land to Moffitt, is proposing a master-planned community of Angeline, formerly Project Arthur, that would transform a former cattle ranch and pine plantation into a residential and commercial community. The property is located south of State Road 52 and east of Suncoast. Both Ridge Road and Sunlake Boulevard cut through the property.

Environmentalists say these types of projects are the true reason for extending Ridge Road.

“Now, it’s pretty obvious all along they had bigger plans for opening central Pasco,” said Martin. “A lot of this is bad growth and sprawl.”

One design change in Ridge Road could add as many as seven signalized intersections to the phase two, at-grade construction of roadway from Suncoast to Land O’ Lakes boulevard.

While this segment initially had limited access, county officials later designated it an arterial roadway in acknowledgement that private property owners might develop land adjacent to Ridge Road.

However, Beneck said Pasco planned for Ridge Road based on the county’s long-range comprehensive plan, not any specific development projects. “We really hadn’t heard of any development plans.”

It would be up to private developers to seek any necessary permits, he said.

“Private developers would be responsible for doing all of their own mitigation,” Beneck said.

Published July 1, 2020

Lawsuit challenges Ridge Road extension

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The Sierra Club Florida Conservation has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for issuing a permit to Pasco County, to allow the construction of an extension of Ridge Road.

The legal action aims to halt the project, which is a 9-mile corridor that would add an additional transportation link in the county.

Those opposing the extension of Ridge Road across the wetlands of the Serenova Preserve rallied at the roadway intersection of DeCubellis Road and Moon Lake Road, on Feb. 9. (Courtesy of Elise Mysels, Pasco Activists group)

The extension would give another option to motorists who now travel east-west across the county, using State Road 54 and State Road 52.

The new link will reduce traffic on those other corridors, and it provides another evacuation route in the event of an emergency, according to Pasco County officials.

Plans call for the corridor to be lengthened from New Port Richey to the Suncoast Parkway, then further east to U.S. 41.

Ridge Road also would extend through the Serenova Tract of the Starkey Wilderness Preserve.

Currently, land is being cleared to establish what will be the new roadway, heading toward the wetlands.

Environmentalists, such as the Sierra Club, argue that going through that tract  will be detrimental to the wetlands and the wildlife that live in the preserve.

However, county officials assure that cautionary measures will be taken to minimize impacts.

The new roadway would be incorporated with 16 bridges that overpass wetlands.

Guardrails also would be installed to keep wildlife from entering onto the roadway.

This would lessen impacts to the Serenova Tract by 83%, said Sam Beneck, Pasco County project manager.

“We did understand that this was a project that was very significant to [the] Sierra Club,” he noted.

In regards to the lawsuit, filed on Feb. 6, the county anticipated that the “challenge was likely, and so did the Army Corps,” Beneck said.

Tim Martin is a member of the Sierra Club, and issued the press release announcing the legal action against the federal agency.

This aerial shot shows the clearing of land to lengthen Ridge Road to the east, eventually stopping at U.S. 41. The Sierra Club filed a lawsuit to attempt to stop excavation of land for the project. (Courtesy of Sam Beneck, Pasco County project manager)

“We feel that the Army Corps has made some serious mistakes and violations of federal regulations in granting this permit. I think we have a very strong case proving that,” Martin said.

The 59-page lawsuit contends that the Army Corps breached the National Environmental Policy Act – neglecting “to adequately evaluate the direct, indirect, and cumulative harm to threatened and endangered species, their habitats, and wetlands located within RRE (Ridge Road extension) permit area of impact.”

Martin said this speaks directly to the removal of gopher tortoises from the Serenova Tract, and its resulting implications.

The county has been working in conjunction with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, to find another suitable habitat for the tortoises so they are not harmed during the extension project.

However, the Sierra Club has pushed back, stating that removal of the tortoises will only cause greater harm.

“When you remove the gopher tortoise burrows, you’re not just picking up tortoises and moving them to another park in South Florida,” Martin said. “You’re actually destroying this highly evolved, very critical habitat that 350-plus species depend on for survival.”

The extension project also has received the backing of U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis who has been a staunch advocate for the roadway. He implored the Army Corps to issue a permit. And, in 2017, Bilirakis sent a letter to President Donald Trump, asking him to make the extension’s completion a priority.

Earlier this year, Bilirakis joined Pasco County officials during the project’s ribbon cutting ceremony.

There he explained the corridor’s importance to residents when faced with a natural disaster.

But, Martin contends that Ridge Road would not be a viable alternative for an evacuation route.

During Hurricane Irma, U.S. 19, which runs north and south from Pasco County into neighboring counties, did not have overcapacity and would have been a more suitable route, Martin said.

The documentation also claims that the Army Corps violated another law that requires that a least-damaging alternative be taken to sustain water-related ecosystems.

There were other locations for the corridor that would have caused less damage, Martin said.

Elise Mysels belongs to the Pasco Activists group, which has worked alongside the Sierra Club in resisting the extension.

She said that she is not against the county building a third corridor, but it shouldn’t be Ridge Road because of the wetlands it will cross.

“What they are basically proposing is to go in and fill 40 acres to allow for this highway to go in,” Mysels said.

She attended the gopher tortoise vigil held at the current dead-end of Ridge Road, where it intersects with DeCubellis Road and Moon Lake Road, in New Port Richey.

Environmentalists rallied at the intersection on Feb. 9, holding protest signs and encouraging passersby to get involved in the cause.

Legal action followed a two-decade wait for the permit to be issued.

Published February 19, 2020

County marks Ridge Road extension milestone

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It was a historic day in Pasco County, as a groundbreaking ceremony was held to celebrate the upcoming construction of the Ridge Road extension.

The new stretch of road will give motorists another east-west option through Pasco County, and will provide an additional evacuation route in the event of a disaster.

From left: Sam Beneck, project manager for the extension, is joined by Pasco County Administrator Dan Biles, Pasco County Commissioners Mike Wells, Jack Mariano, Ron Oakley and Mike Moore; U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis, Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey and Margaret Smith of Pasco County Engineering Services. The Jan. 13 groundbreaking ceremony was the first step in the construction of a project that’s been a county goal for more than 20 years. (Brian Fernandes)

The groundbreaking, held Jan. 13, followed a permit issued in December by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

County officials have been pushing for the project for more than two decades. When the extension is completed, motorists will have another east-west way to get across the county, in addition to State Road 52 and State Road 54.

The ceremony, which drew numerous dignitaries, took place at the end of Town Center Road. That’s where Ridge Road will extend, heading east.

Pasco County Commission Chairman Mike Moore, of District 2, kicked off the ceremony, with a few remarks. He was joined at the ceremony with his colleagues on the commission: Ron Oakley, Jack Mariano, Kathryn Starkey and Mike Wells.

“It’s another great day in Pasco County,” Moore said. “The Ridge Road extension is finally happening, providing a much needed east-west route through the heart of Pasco County for our citizens, and insuring another critical emergency evacuation route.”

Currently, Ridge Road runs between Moon Lake Road to the north, and DeCubellis Road to the south, in New Port Richey.

The roughly 9-mile extension ultimately will link the road to U.S. 41, in Land O’ Lakes.

Construction is being broken into two phases.

The new Ridge Road intersections and their anticipated completion dates go as follows:

Phase 1

  • From Moon Lake Road/DeCubellis Road to Town Center Road, with completion scheduled for 2020
  • From Town Center Road to Suncoast Parkway, with completion scheduled for 2021
  • Extension widened from two lanes to four lanes to Suncoast Parkway, with completion scheduled for 2022

Phase 2

  • Four lanes from Suncoast Parkway to Sunlake Boulevard, with completion scheduled for 2022
  • Four lanes from Sunlake Boulevard to U.S. 41, with completion scheduled for 2025

The first phase will cost an estimated $90 million.

The second phase has not been funded.

The project also has received congressional support.

Pasco County Commission Vice Chairman Mike Wells was one of the five county commissioners present for the groundbreaking of the Ridge Road extension on Jan. 13. Wells represents District 4, which includes a portion of the new extension’s path.

U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis of Florida’s 12th congressional district has been an advocate for Ridge Road’s extension. He has urged the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for several years to issue a permit for the project.

At the groundbreaking, Bilirakis said: “This is a team effort, and it is a big deal. We’re thankful this morning to celebrate a vision that began many years ago.”

Pasco County Administrator Dan Biles also was instrumental in helping the project move forward.

He signed off on the permit, the day the county received it.

“As Ridge Road is built, it actually reduces the traffic on [State Roads] 54 and 52, and right around there by 10%,” Biles said.

Commissioner Mariano, who represents District 5, said: “The future’s bright for Pasco County. This is a major accomplishment for a community that stuck together knowing how important it was, and this is something we should be very, very proud of.”

Mariano also called attention to safety concerns that will be addressed as a result of the new corridor.

“One of the major reasons we elevated it (Ridge Road), was to make it safer so it can be used during a hurricane event as well,” he said.

Mariano made reference to Tropical Storm Debby, which caused State Road 54 to shut down in 2012.

“This right here is going to be for the safety of our citizens on the west side of this county,” added Commissioner Ron Oakley, of District 1.

County officials said the elevation also significantly reduces impacts to the wetlands of the Serenova Tract of Starkey Wilderness Preserve. They estimate that reduction in impacts to be as high as 83%.

The project includes 16 bridges, curbs, guardrails and fencing.

Impacts to wildlife are being taken into consideration as well.

The end of Town Center Road has been cleared of brush, and is now being surveyed for gopher tortoises in the vicinity, said Sam Beneck, the project manager.

Any tortoises found in the construction area will be relocated to another site, Beneck said.

While the county has been pushing for the project for decades, environmentalists have been opposed to it.

The opponents, including the Sierra Club Florida Conservation, have said the new measures do not go far enough in protecting the Preserve or wildlife.

Commissioner Kathryn Starkey, who represents District 3, said the extension will provide another alternative for those going to River Ridge High School and River Ridge Middle, which are located along Town Center Road.

That will reduce congestion and improve safety, Starkey said, noting, “it was never intended” for both schools to have only one entrance.

“Not only is this a very important hurricane evacuation route, but it’s also very important for the well-being of the students and the faculty, and all this neighborhood of the River Ridge complex,” Starkey said.

“The Ridge Road extension will have a lasting impact that extends far beyond the community surrounding this site,” said Commission Vice Chairman Mike Wells, of District 4.

After remarks concluded, officials donned hard hats and grabbed shovels to take part in a ceremonial groundbreaking pose.

Ridge Road’s extension to Town Center Road is expected to begin in coming weeks, with construction of that portion expected to be completed by this fall.

Published January 22, 2020