By Kyle LoJacono
The project to make US 41 a four-lane highway to Connerton Road in the north has passed the halfway point and residents will feel its benefits by spring of next year.
The project is slightly ahead of schedule and should be completed by May as originally planned, said Dick Kane, spokesman for the Florida Department of Transportation, which is managing the project.
“The construction started August of (2009) and was much needed to help with traffic flow in the area,” Kane said. “Things look good for finishing on time.”
The $15 million project will make the three-mile stretch a four-lane divided road from Tower Road to Connerton. The project is paid for by federal stimulus money and will also add center turning lanes, a grassy median and a concrete sidewalk on the east side of the highway.
Kane said the plan to widen 41 had been in the works for years. A large section of the highway was widened to six lanes in and around SR 54 south into Hillsborough Lutz more than 10 years ago to also help with traffic.
The project is being completed by R.E. Purcell Construction, a Largo-based company. Purcell vice president Scott Williams said he has heard few complaints phoned into the company about construction and added those working on the site have reported the same.
Williams said most of the work has been on the southern end of the project zone and construction will work its way north.
Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce’s executive director Kathy Dunkley said she too has heard little grumbling from businesses or people in the area.
“There really hasn’t been much complaining,” Dunkley said. “The workers have been doing as good a job as they can to not affect businesses by letting them know what’s going on and putting the blue signs up to show people how to get to businesses. Some people have told me they learned about businesses for the first time by seeing those signs.”
Dunkley remembers when 41 was widened near SR 54 and said there was a lot more complaining and problems with that project. She understands some companies are being hurt by the project, but believes the wider road will bring more people and business to central Pasco County.
“It needed to be done,” Dunkley said. “It’s a bottle neck there where it drops to two lanes near (Land O’ Lakes) High School. There are a lot of reasons it will make things better once it’s done.”
Also near Land O’ Lakes High is the Pasco School District’s administrative office. The Long Term Acute Care Hospital at Connerton and Land O’ Lakes Detention Center are both north of the project zone and will not be affected by the widening. Kane said there are no set plans to continue the widening further north.
Gloria Hamilton lives near where the construction is happening in Land O’ Lakes and agrees the project is needed. However, she remembers early problems with construction.
“I know some people who own businesses in the area and there was a lot of flooding when it started,” Hamilton said. “They’ve told me things are better with that now, but there is always a lot of dust and dirt in the area from the machines.”
The flooding was a result of water line work originally being done by Kearney Construction. That is a Pasco County project. Kearney was replaced because it fell behind on deadlines, broke several pipes causing the flooding and eventually filed for bankruptcy.
