The Laker/Lutz News

Morris Bridge Road

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

More residential and commercial growth coming to East Pasco

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Zephyrhills is hitting its stride as growth and development gain momentum along the traffic corridors of what is now Pasco County’s largest city.

The signs of new growth are everywhere along Zephyrhills’ major corridors including U.S. 301/Gall Boulevard, and State Road 56.

Construction is changing the city’s landscape.

Heavy equipment prepares land for the construction of a new Radiant Gas Station and other retail on the west side of Gall Boulevard, in Zephyrhills. (Fred Bellet)

New developments include The District at Abbott Square, a master-planned community behind the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center, and Abbott Park, a residential community off Dean Dairy Road.

The Zephyrhills Municipal Airport is expanding and there’s new retail at Zephyr Commons shopping complex.

These signal the city’s increasing population.

It grew from more than 13,000 residents in 2010 to more than 17,000 residents in 2020, according to data from the 2020 U.S. Census.

In addition to Abbott Square and Abbott Park, Hidden River and the Links at Calusa Springs also are adding rooftops to Zephyrhills.

“The fact is that the need for housing is just exploding statewide. Tampa is running out of space,” said Todd Vande Berg, Zephyrhills’ planning director. “We were the next logical location.”

The view from the exit of Tropical Acres on Blue Lagoon Drive will soon change as ongoing construction site preparation will transform the east side of U.S. 301.

The widening of State Road 56 to four lanes opened Zephyrhills to more development, Vande Berg said.

He also noted that city officials have worked to ensure that residential projects were not “cookie-cutter.”

Abbott Square, as an example, will offer one-story villas, two-story townhouses, and will feature three different lot sizes.

“I think people appreciate that. Not all residential is on 40-foot-wide lots like every other development,” he said.

Preserving trees, installing sidewalks and adding trails are highlights of new residential development.

Zephyrhills is building on Pasco’s countywide efforts to attract tourism through an emphasis on sports facilities such as the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis Center.

In coming months, Vande Berg said the tennis center will add dormitories to accommodate increasing interest in tournaments and training opportunities.

The facility also is attracting new residential including the Abbott Square project. The Lennar Homes development, on Simons Road behind the tennis center, will build about 700 residential units of single-family houses, townhouses, and apartments.

West of Dade City on State Road 52, a new residential development, Abbey Glen, is under construction.

Abbott Park, off Kossik Road near Zephyr Commons, is a new residential community by Metro Places.

Summerstone is a new single-family and townhome development, off State Road 56, west of Morris Bridge Road. It is located in Wesley Chapel, just a short distance west of Zephyrhills.

Chipotle’s restaurant recently opened at Zephyr Commons. Planet Fitness had a recent ribbon-cutting. Chick-Fil-A opened, too, on an outparcel of the shopping center on the northeast corner with Pretty Pond Road.

More retail is anticipated. And plans for the site include about 400 residential units.

The Pretty Pond intersection is becoming a hub for Zephyrhills shoppers, who are adding Zephyr Commons to their destinations along with established plazas along Gall Boulevard (U.S. 301), including Merchants Square, Towne View Square Shopping Center, and North Town Center.

On the west side of Gall Boulevard, at Pretty Pond, the former site of Rainbow Court and Brightside Manor mobile home park, is being prepped for new commercial development. A sign planted at the site advertises a coming Radiant gas station and convenience store. A car wash also is anticipated at the site.

Zephyrhills’ downtown, on Fifth Avenue, is enjoying its own commercial revival.

The opening of Zephyrhills Brewing Company in 2016 set the stage for renewed interest in downtown, said Melonie Monson, president, and chief executive officer of The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce.

“It has been an economic driver,” she said. “It’s brought traffic in on weekends.”

New shops opening within the past year include Vintage Chix, a boutique clothing store; A.O.K., a sports bar featuring axe throwing; and Your Turn, a board game café that serves coffee, sandwiches, pastries, and a choice of hundreds of board games to play.

A site preparation worker makes his way through a parcel of land on Gall Boulevard, just south of North Town Center on Gall Boulevard in Zephyrhills.

Tina & Joe’s Café opened recently in the historic Jeffries House, built in 1910 for Zephyrhills’s founder Captain A. B. Jeffries. The café serves salads, sandwiches, lobster rolls and desserts.

Also, Planet Jupiter, a hookah lounge, is “coming soon” to a storefront on Fifth Avenue.

“Our downtown is really growing,” said Monson.

On Gall Boulevard, near downtown, Jerry’s Crystal Bar reopened after being ravaged by fire in 2020.

Checkers on Gall and Culver’s on Eiland Boulevard are new additions to the quick service food options.

The chamber recently hosted a ribbon-cutting for Hoops Heaven, on Chancey Road along the city’s industrial corridor. The indoor training facility offers basketball training for youth in the Zephyrhills and Wesley Chapel area.

Hoops Heaven adds to both Zephyrhills’ and Pasco County’s goal of advocating for sports and ecotourism to build economic growth and bring jobs, Vande Berg said.

“Someone came from out of town and saw a need for youth basketball,” the planning director said.

By Kathy Steele

Published January 05, 2022

State Road 54 work expected to resume this month

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Work on a project to widen State Road 54 — from Curley Road to Morris Bridge Road — is expected to resume on Dec. 20, according to Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) District Seven Secretary David Gwynn.

Gwynn recently updated the board of the Pasco Metropolitan Planning Organization regarding the status of three construction projects that were stalled this summer, when the contractor handling the work defaulted.

“It was the end of July when DAB  (Contractors) defaulted, more or less put us on notice that they were not financially able to continue to complete the projects,” Gwynn said.

The FDOT notified the surety, which provides the bond on the project, that is responsible for bringing in a replacement contractor to complete the work.

It typically takes two to four months to bring a replacement contractor on board, Gwynn said.

In addition to the State Road 54 project, work also was stopped on the diverging diamond interchange project at State Road 56 and Interstate 75; and on the State Road 52 project, on State Road 52, from the Suncoast Parkway to U.S. 41, including a portion of U.S. 41.

Work has resumed on the diverging diamond project, with Superior Construction handling the job. That’s the same company that’s building the realignment of State Road 52 in East Pasco.

“They jumped onto the diverging diamond. One thing they just recently did, it wasn’t really required of them in the contract, but for the Christmas holiday season, opened up an additional lane on State Road 56 to try to help with the merchants in the area and be able to provide a little better service during the shopping season,” Gwynn said.

The contractor expects to have the new configuration completed by summer 2022, Gwynn said.

The State Road 52 project is being handled by a company called PCS (previously known as Pepper). The work has begun, but there’s still about two years left on that project, the FDOT officials said.

“The one that’s given us the most challenge has been State Road 54, for a variety of reasons,” he said.

That work will be completed by Cone & Graham, which is the company that is building the county’s Ridge Road project and that built the State Road 56 extension, Gwynn said.

Gwynn also noted there are some traffic issues at the new leg of an intersection at Meadow Pointe Boulevard and State Road 54, which has to do with an equipment issue. He said that is expected to be corrected in coming weeks.

The Pasco MPO — made up of representatives of Pasco County, Dade City, Zephyrhills, Port Richey and New Port Richey — is the lead transportation planning agency in Pasco County.

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

Work resumes on State Road 52 widening

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Construction has restarted on State Road 52, near the Suncoast Parkway, in Land O’ Lakes.

A new contractor, PCS Civil Inc., began work on Oct. 25.

The contractor is expected to spend a few weeks doing cleanup, surveying and other tasks necessary to safely resume operations, according to an update from the Florida Department of Transportation’s (FDOT) District Seven office.

Work on the project stopped on July 28, 2021, when the original contractor notified FDOT that it was halting work on the project. The state transportation department declared the contractor in default on Aug. 3.

Pipes await a crew on the south side right of way, along State Road 56. Construction again has started up on a project aimed at easing congestion at the State Road 56 and Interstate 75 interchange, in Wesley Chapel. (File)

The FDOT requires its contracts to have bonds issued by a surety company.

The surety company was required to obtain a completion contractor and chose PCS Civil Inc.

The State Road 52 project calls for widening the road to a six-lane divided highway from the Suncoast Parkway to east of U.S. 41.

The contract also includes widening U.S. 41 for approximately 1 mile, approaching the State Road 52 intersection. A 12-foot wide multi-use trail — to be built along the north side of State Road 52 — is another element of the project.

The estimated cost for the State Road 52 widening is $49.8 million, according to FDOT’s website.

While work has resumed on State Road 52, it is expected to begin again soon on the State Road 54 widening, from Curley Road to Morris Bridge Road, according to the FDOT update.

The prospective completion contractor is sending the surety company an updated price proposal.

A completion contract is expected to be with the surety by Nov. 12, with execution of the contract to follow. Once that occurs, the contractor is expected to begin work within a week.

In the meantime, mowing and litter removal is expected to occur.

Another project that had been halted involves the construction of the Diverging Diamond Interchange (DDI) project being built at the State Road 56 and Interstate 75 interchange.

That work stopped June 25, when the contractor informed FDOT it was halting work on the project. On July 1, FDOT declared the contractor in default.

Work resumed on Sept. 13, after Superior Construction Company Southeast LLC was selected by the surety company to complete the work.

The project, estimated at $33.6 million, is now expected to finished in summer 2022, according to FDOT’s website.

The project will reconfigure the State Road 56/I-75 interchange between County Road 54 and Cypress Ridge Boulevard.

The existing diamond interchange at the intersection will be converted to a DDI.

The main change will be to diverge, or cross, State Road 56 traffic to the left side of the road through the interchange, and then cross vehicles back over to the right side of the road on the opposite side of the interchange, according to a description on FDOT’s website.

The changes will help to alleviate traffic congestion to reduce travel time for motorists in this rapidly growing area.

A DDI was chosen for the State Road 56/I-75 interchange because of the proven ability of this traffic configuration to increase safety and capacity while using a large amount of the existing interchange footprint, including the existing bridge, according to FDOT.

The DDI also was chosen because of its ability to handle heavy left-turn volumes, such as the westbound to southbound movement from State Road 56 to southbound I-75.

For more information about these or other FDOT projects in Pasco or Hillsborough counties, visit FDOTtampabay.com.

Published November 10, 2021

Roadway connectivity is key to Zephyrhills’ economic vitality

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The Zephyrhills area has experienced burgeoning activity in the way of residential growth and commercial development.

Pasco County Commission chairman Ron Oakley has witnessed it firsthand, since being elected in 2016.

“Zephyrhills has been a very good, working city,” said Oakley, who represents District 1, which covers areas in East and Central Pasco.

“Economically, they’ve done very well over the years, and I mean, it just didn’t start here lately, it’s been that way.

Pasco County Commission chairman Ron Oakley was a featured guest speaker during the fifth annual Zephyrhills Economic Summit in October, at Zephyrhills City Hall. (File)

“They have a good council here, and they have good planners and others,” the county board leader said.

But Oakley is especially enthused about the forthcoming roadway connectivity in and out of the city limits — which he detailed as one of the featured speakers at the fifth annual Zephyrhills Economic Summit held last month, at Zephyrhills City Hall.

The Oct. 13 event was organized by the City of Zephyrhills, Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce, Zephyrhills Economic Development Coalition, Main Street Zephyrhills, Pasco Economic Development Council (Pasco EDC), and AdventHealth Zephyrhills/Dade City.

These were among the finished or active projects that Oakley highlighted:

  • State Road 56 extension, from Meadow Pointe Boulevard in Wesley Chapel to U.S. 301 in Zephyrhills
  • Wire Road pavement rehabilitation
  • County Road 54, east to 23rd Street, which includes traffic signals, turn lanes, and multi-use path
  • U.S. 301/Pretty Pond Road, which includes traffic signals and median improvements

“Those are great things happening, because that’s going to help everybody move around better,” Oakley said.

Some countywide roadway upgrades also will benefit the municipality, too, Oakley noted.

That includes the $33.6 million diverging diamond interchange at Interstate 75 and State Road 56, which is expected to be completed in summer 2022.

Oakley put it like this: “What good is a diverging diamond to Zephyrhills? Well, economically, it helps people get in and out of the area, and it helps them get here, and then also to get out of here.”

There’s also the $64 million interstate interchange on I-75 at Overpass Road, south of State Road 52, scheduled for completion in late 2022 or early 2023.

“That’s going to help divide that traffic up from (State Road) 56, to Overpass to (State Road) 54 and then (State Road) 52,” Oakley said.

By spreading the traffic out, “your movement will be much better,” he explained.

Oakley was quick to point out that these big-ticket roadway infrastructure projects would not be possible without the mobility fees paid by surrounding growth and development.

“None of this happens without the fact that we’re doing a lot of residential development that brings in impact fees (mobility fees) and school impact fees that builds schools, and also pays for the roads that you see,” he said.

Large developments are in progress
Oakley also told the crowd about some of the large-scale developments that he said, “are cropping up everywhere around the city.”

He directed attention to Two Rivers, a master-planned unit development (MPUD) zoning off State Road 56, between Morris Bridge Road and U.S. 301.

Roadway infrastructure improvements — such as the Overpass Road connection with Interstate 75 — were a key theme during the fifth annual Zephyrhills Economic Summit.

The project is substantial.

The county has approved up to 6,400 residences, more than 2.6 million square feet of office and industrial, and 630,000 square feet of commercial uses.

The 3,405-acre property’s southern boundary is on the north side of County Line Road, and its northern boundary is on the north side of State Road 56.

The Two Rivers development also includes a site for an elementary school, middle school and high school, an 80-acre district park and a public safety site.

“All these developments are going to bring more people into the economy of Zephyrhills; very important for that economy,” Oakley said. “Those people coming in will be really helping a lot of businesses here in Zephyrhills.”

The speaker acknowledged the possible strain on services and utilities such as water and sewer, but assured local citizens that the county is well-prepared.

“There’s nothing wrong with good, planned growth,” Oakley said.

The commissioner also shared his vision and standards for new residential developments popping up in East Pasco.

These large developments, the commissioner said, should entail “good architectural views, good landscaping, and a place you’d be proud to live in.”

In the same breath, he pushed back on small-lot housing subdivisions.

“I honestly believe that we shouldn’t have 40-foot lots,” he said. “We have some, and they work, I guess, somewhere, but they’re really too small.”

He continued, “We want to build a whole residential development that’s more of a community, and not houses right beside each other, with no landscaping. We want something to be proud of in Pasco.”

Elsewhere, Oakley mentioned the county is working on plans to help small businesses, in the way of zero-interest loans, grants and other assistance programs.

“They’re pretty much the backbone of our community, when you think about all the small businesses,” said Oakley. “We have the big businesses, and they’re a different source themselves, but small business is very important.”

State Rep. Danny Burgess, R-Zephyrhills

Burgess bullish on Zephyrhills armory
State Rep. Danny Burgess, R- Zephyrhills also participated in the economic summit, speaking virtually from his Tallahassee office.

His remarks focused on the forthcoming Florida National Guard Armory coming to Zephyrhills that is set to be located near the city’s municipal airport.

State lawmakers earmarked $25 million for the construction of the project during the past legislative session.

Burgess described the project as “a first-of-its kind, state-of-the-art armory.”

He said it will employ many full-time Army officers during the week, plus hundreds of soldiers and service people visiting on weekends.

The legislator views the armory as “a big economic driver” for the city, where soldiers and service members “work and eat and stay and play in our community.”

“It’s not just a military installation, it’s not just a home for the National Guard,” Burgess said. “It’s going to be really good, and it’s moving fast, so we should hopefully have some great direction here soon.”

What makes the project even more special, Burgess said, is that Zephyrhills is a community that has deep military roots and a record of support for the armed forces.

The city was founded by Civil War veteran Capt. Howard B. Jeffries, as a retirement area for union soldiers.

The city’s airport property was used by the U.S. Army in the 1940s as a training airfield for combat pilots.

“We should all be very, very proud of this,” Burgess added of the armory.

Burgess went on to praise the city’s windfall in the latest state budget, which included several appropriations, including $6.5 million for water and wastewater improvements on Handcart Road; $4.6 million for improvements to the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center; and $3 million for improvements to the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport.

Said Burgess, “It’s a testament to our community, to the things that are happening in our community, to the businesses in our community and our community leaders.”

As a sign of the municipality’s wave of progress, back in June Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis appeared at Zephyrhills City Hall for a state budget-signing ceremony— penning into law a record-setting $101.5 billion budget for fiscal year 2021-2022.

The invite-only press conference drew several dozens of area residents, business owners and government officials, in a standing-room only affair.

Burgess also credited Florida Senate President Wilton Simpson (R-Trilby) for his continuous support of Zephyrhills at the state level.

“He has always looked out for that community, and he sees the value in our location geographically and from an infrastructure standpoint, and he just wants to see us succeed,” Burgess said.

Other featured presentations during the summit came from Zephyrhills Planning Director Todd Vande Berg; David Waronker, CBD Real Estate Investment president; Randy Stovall, Zephyrhills Economic Development Coalition chairman; and Tom Ryan, Pasco Economic Development Coalition director of business development.

Zephyrhills is now Pasco’s biggest city
The City of Zephyrhills has surpassed New Port Richey as Pasco County’s biggest city, based on data collected in the 2020 U.S. Census.

The Pasco County Commission discussed the shift during its board meeting on Oct. 26, noting that it will have to make some new appointments to boards that include a representative from the county’s largest municipality.

Census data reports that Zephyrhills had a population of 17,194 on April 1, 2020. Its population was 13,288 as of April 1, 2010.

New Port Richey’s population was 16,728 on April 1, 2020, compared to 14,911 on April 1, 2010.

Census figures for local jurisdictions include:

Jurisdiction                             April 1, 2020               April 1, 2010
Pasco County                          561,891                       464,697
Zephyrhills                              17,194                         13,288
Dade City                                7,550                           6,437
New Port Richey                     16,728                         14,911
Hillsborough County               1,459,762                    1,229,226
Tampa                                     384,959                       335,709

Pasco County Commissioners discussed Zephyrhills’ shift to become the county’s largest city, noting that it will mean that some appointments will need to change next year because certain boards require representation from the county’s largest city.

Published November 03, 2021

Diverging Diamond work resumes

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Superior Construction Company Southeast LLC began working on the completion of the Diverging Diamond Interchange (DDI) last week, at State Road 56 and Interstate 75.

Work activities in the first few weeks will involve cleanup, surveying, and other tasks needed to safely resume construction. The project is expected to be completed in summer 2022, according to information on the Florida Department of Transportation’s website.

Pipes await a crew on the south side right of way, along State Road 56. Construction starts up again in the creation of the diverging diamond road design. (Fred Bellet)

Activities last week were expected to include mobilization of labor, equipment and materials, erosion control, survey, jobsite cleanup of debris and office setup, according to an update provided by Kris Carson, spokeswoman for the District 7 office of the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT).

Minor pothole and erosion control repairs were completed last week by the interim maintenance contractor, the update adds, with maintenance responsibility expected to be fully transitioned to Superior by Sept. 20.

The project will reconfigure the I-75/State Road 56 interchange between County Road 54 and Cypress Ridge Boulevard, in Pasco County.

The existing diamond interchange will be modified and converted to a DDI.

The main change will be to diverge, or cross, State Road 56 traffic to the left side of the road through the interchange, and then cross vehicles back over to the right side of the road on the opposite side of the interchange.

The changes will help to alleviate traffic congestion at this interchange to reduce travel time for motorists in this rapidly growing area, according to information posted on FDOT’s website.

Crews again have begun work on the diverging diamond road design at State Road 56 and Interstate 75. Here, crews work on 1-75, under the State Road 56 overpass. Heavy equipment can be seen moving dirt.

A DDI was chosen for the I-75/State Road 56 interchange because of the proven ability of this traffic configuration to increase safety and capacity while using a large amount of the existing interchange footprint, including the existing bridge, according to FDOT.

The DDI also was chosen because of its ability to handle heavy left-turn volumes, such as the westbound to southbound movement from State Road 56 to southbound I-75.

The new interchange at State Road 56 will reduce vehicle delays by allowing traffic to enter the interstate without waiting at a left-turn signal. To do this, traffic is redirected from the right side of the bridge to the left side.

Signalized crossovers are positioned at each side of the interchange, and are designed to cross eastbound and westbound State Road 56 traffic with no turning movements at these two intersections. This design allows for more efficient signal timing, which reduces delay times, minimizes conflict points, and enables the interchange to more effectively handle higher volumes of traffic while eliminating the more serious crashes associated with a conventional interchange.

These types of interchanges operate under two-phase signal control, which reduces lost time, delays and queue lengths at traffic signals.

Safety features include lower design speeds between ramps and a reduction in the number of conflict points. The lower speeds result in less severe crashes.

The design also fosters increased safety for pedestrians and bicycles, and better sight distance at turns.

The expected benefits for the interchange are an increase in capacity and pedestrian safety while reducing vehicle delays and crashes. These benefits will be achieved by an increased number of lanes, improved pedestrian facilities, more efficient signal timings and reduced vehicle conflict points, the FDOT says.

Future project updates on the diverging diamond will be provided at FDOT’s website, at FDOTTampaBay.com/.

Carson also provided updates on other projects that were halted when DAB Constructors ceased operations.

State Road 52, Suncoast Parkway to U.S. 41
The surety has received bids from prospective completion contractors on Sept. 9 and is evaluating the bids.

Quail Ridge requested additional delineation at entrance; additional barrels were placed on Sept. 17.

New Beginning Family Ministry requested additional mowing at their entrance, which was performed on Sept. 16.

Work continues on necessary pothole and silt fence repairs throughout the site.

State Road 54, from Curley Road to Morris Bridge Road
The surety responded to questions from prospective bidders, posting those responses on Sept. 14. Bids are expected to be received the end of September.

The surety’s subcontractor has been mowing, performing litter control and filling potholes at side streets and driveways throughout the project.

Emerald Striping is receiving school ahead sign panels to be installed by early next week. The flashing beacons for the signs are expected to be installed within three weeks to five weeks.

Also, FDOT maintenance crews have been onsite filling in washouts behind sidewalks project-wide.

Driveways and side streets milling was scheduled to begin on Sept. 18, with paving scheduled to begin this week.

Published September 22, 2021

Massive Two Rivers development gets OK

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A huge swath of land now occupied primarily by pastures and trees is expected to become home to Two Rivers, off State Road 56, between Morris Bridge Road and U.S. 301.

The Pasco County Commission voted 5-0 to approve a master-planned unit development (MPUD) zoning that will allow 6,400 residences, more than 2.6 million square feet of office and industrial, and 630,000 square feet of commercial uses.

The 3,405-acre property’s southern boundary is on the north side of County Line Road, and its northern boundary is on the north side of State Road 56.

The Two Rivers development also includes a site for an elementary school, middle school and high school, an 80-acre district park and a public safety site.

The development also will feature a connectivity plan, with trails and pedestrian paths — aimed at making it easier for people to get around the community — without relying on vehicles.

The Eisenhower Property Group will be building the majority of residential uses within the project, said Clarke Hobby, an attorney representing the applicants. “The Thomas family is retaining substantially of the all non-residential uses within the MPUD,” he said.

The Thomas family also owns the adjacent property, directly south of the Two Rivers site, in Hillsborough County, and part of the approval for the Two Rivers project requires a connection between the two developments to give the Two Rivers project access to U.S. 301, on a planned extension of County Line Road through the Hillsborough tract.

If that connection isn’t made on the Hillsborough side, then Two Rivers will be required to make the connection on the Pasco side, as one of the conditions for approval.

The schools and district park are expected to be co-located, so they can share land and other amenities, according to Joel Tew, who is co-counsel with Hobby, for the applicants.

The exact access to the school isn’t shown on the map because the school district and county must work out their plans to ensure access and safety for different uses, Tew said.

The shared uses could be similar to the arrangement the county and school district have at the Starkey Ranch K-8 and district park site in Odessa.

The Two Rivers project has been in planning stages for decades, Hobby said, noting that “Bob Sierra had this site under contract back as far as 2008.”

The Thomas family played an instrumental role in helping to secure the funding for the first two lanes of the State Road 56 extension to U.S. 301, and then for lanes three and four of the extension, Hobby said.

“Two Rivers was the largest part of the additional surcharges that are imposed on developments in this area to pay for lanes three and four of that extension. Of the $26 million that the county has to pay back to the state infrastructure bank, $15 million of that comes solely from surcharges on development on Two Rivers,” he said.

“What we’re bringing to you today reflects a lot of thought and effort by a lot of parts of your staff, the school board, particularly your natural resources (department) and the county attorney’s office.

“We believe this project has been done the right way,” he said.

“One of the biggest things you have to remember about Two Rivers is that it truly is a mixed-use project,” Hobby said, with 2.6 million square feet of employment-generating uses.

“So, this project has been set up correctly, from the get-go. We’re not shortchanging it. And, we’re going to create a lot of jobs along the way, in addition to creating an overall great community,” Hobby said.

Some residents objected to aspects of the request, including potential traffic congestion, concerns about potential flooding, and a lack of specificity regarding access points and other details, but the county board was not swayed by the testimony.

Published September 22, 2021

Crews getting back at it, on Diverging Diamond interchange

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Work on the diverging diamond project at State Road 56 and Interstate 75 in Wesley Chapel was set to resume on Sept. 13, according to officials from the Florida Department of Transportation.

That news was part of an update released by Kris Carson, department spokeswoman for FDOT’S District 7 office.

Work was halted in June, when D.A.B. Constructors notified FDOT that it was demobilizing from the project. The state transportation department then defaulted D.A.B., on July 1.

D.A.B. Contractors had seven projects in FDOT District 7, including three in Pasco County. After D.A.B. was defaulted on the diverging diamond project, it self-defaulted on the other Pasco projects, which are on State Road 52 and State Road 54.

The surety company must now complete those projects.

Carson provided a Sept. 10 update regarding the status of the projects.

Diverging Diamond
The completion contract has been executed by Superior Construction and is with the surety for final signatures.

Superior Construction has been given a Notice to Proceed from the surety, and contract work is expected to recommence on Sept. 13.

Surveyors have been onsite gathering survey information to support the proposed Sept. 13 start date.

The interim maintenance contractor (DBI) performed mowing in the two ponds on the south side of State Road 56. Slope mowing was completed on the northeast quadrant adjacent to the northbound Interstate 75 on-ramp.

Slope mowing is currently underway on the interior slopes of the southbound on- and off-ramps.

A project-wide litter pickup cycle was completed.

State Road 52, from Suncoast Parkway to U.S. 41
The surety received bids from prospective completion contractors on Sept. 9, and the bids are being evaluated.

The FDOT performed pothole and silt fence repairs, to address urgent needs.

An upcoming mowing cycle is planned to start in two weeks.

State Road 54, from Curley Road to Morris Bridge Road
The surety put out an advertisement for bids on Sept. 9, with bids expected to be received the week of Sept. 23.

The FDOT’s maintenance crews have repaired potholes throughout the project and at the following side streets and driveways: McDonald’s driveway, Lado Drive, Loury Drive, Ashton Oaks Boulevard and Foxwood Boulevard.

Drop-offs have been addressed project-wide by inspection staff and maintenance crews.

The FDOT’s asphalt maintenance contractor is schedule to pave the previously listed side streets and driveways beginning Sept. 16.

Traffic markings maintenance has been completed at Meadow Pointe Boulevard and State Road 54.

Concrete barriers were adjusted at New River Road and State Road 54 and the Morris Bridge Road intersection, in front of CVS.

Emerald Striping is being scheduled to install flashing beacon ‘school ahead’ signs at New River Academy.

While the FDOT continues to address the state road projects that are behind schedule, State Sen. Danny Burgess told members of the North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce that the state is seeing what it can do to streamline, in some way, the process of road contracting.

That way, if something like this happens again, the DOT would have additional options, such as going to with Bidder No. 2 on a project, he said.

“We’re going to look at some outside-the-box opportunities,” Burgess said.

Published September 15, 2021

State roads department offers update on halted Pasco projects

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Florida Department of Transportation District Seven Secretary David Gwynn recently gave an update on the status of state road projects that recently halted operations.

Gwynn gave the update during the Aug. 12 board meeting of the Pasco County Metropolitan Planning Organization.

The Pasco MPO — made up of representatives of Pasco County, Dade City, Zephyrhills, Port Richey and New Port Richey — is the lead transportation planning agency in Pasco County.

Work has stopped on a diverging diamond project that is being done in Wesley Chapel, which is expected to ease traffic at State Road 56 and Interstate 75, once the work is finished. An estimated completion date on the project has not been determined. (File)

Gwynn told the MPO board members: “We had seven projects in our district, three of them in Pasco County, that DAB Contractors either were defaulted on — which was the DDI (Diverging Diamond Interchange) — or self-defaulted, which included State Road 52 and State Road 54.

“After that occurred, we met with our surety company — more or less the bondholder.

“I can tell you the surety has been very responsive so far,” he said.

He expressed confidence that once the surety company awards a bid on the contract, the contractor will “try to get this project not only going, but accelerating as quickly as possible.”

Gwynn also noted: “We’re also working with our maintenance contractor to ensure that the project sites are secured. I’ve noticed recently that some of the vegetation in some of the areas is starting to grow pretty high, so we’re out there with our forces, mowing them. In fact, we’re doing (State Road) 54, I think, today.

“The surety has let me know the direction they’ve given their people is that they need to get these contracts going as soon as possible because they’re also held to the same penalties as DAB would have been held to for being late. In other words, the end date of the contract doesn’t change. They’ll get penalized for every day they don’t meet, based on that original contract.

“I’m very optimistic that very soon we’ll have contractors on board working on those projects.

“When you look at some of the other construction projects we have around in Pasco County and around the district, a lot of the contractors are ahead of schedule. The State Road 52 realignment project is almost a year ahead of schedule, with Superior Construction.

“The Overpass Road Interchange is ahead of construction, so I think there’s capacity out there to get other good contractors and get these jobs moving forward.”

Kris Carson, spokeswoman for the FDOT District Seven Office, provided an Aug. 13 update regarding the status of the projects.

The surety company and the FDOT have executed a takeover agreement regarding the diverging diamond project, as of Aug. 12, according to Carson’s update.

The receipt of bids for the project had been scheduled for Aug. 12, but was moved back to Aug. 18, to provide more information and give more contractors an opportunity to compete for the work.

Mowing and general maintenance has been completed throughout the project limits.

Also, the number of temporary traffic control devices have been reduced to the minimum required to maintain a safe work zone, the update adds.

Regarding the State Road 52 project, from Suncoast Parkway to U.S. 41: A representative with the surety met with an FDOT representative onside to assess the status of the project, on Aug. 11. The FDOT has completed uploading all of the documentation requested by the surety and the takeover documents are with the surety, for its execution.

Regarding the widening of State Road 54, from Curley Road to Morris Bridge Road: A representative with the surety met with a FDOT representative onsite to assess the status of the project, on Aug. 11. The FDOT has completed uploading all of the project documentation requested by the surety. The takeover documents are currently with the surety for its execution.

The FDOT has completed mowing throughout the project area. Additional maintenance of driveway access to business on the west side of Eiland/State Road 54 is planned to be completed within the next two weeks, according to the Aug. 13 update.

The surety will be responsible for meeting the original contract requirements, and the FDOT retains the responsibility to ensure the surety meets its obligations, the FDOT document adds.

Published August 18, 2021