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But a DOT official says Independence Parkway is clearly marked.
By MELANIE AVE, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times, published January 1, 2002
TAMPA -- Commuters describe it like this: Sharp. Harsh. Radical.
"If you don't know it's there, it'll sneak up on you," said Tampa resident Joe Carey. "It's a hard turn for a road like that."
The it Carey speaks of is a 90-degree turn on Independence Parkway, the precise spot where a gasoline tanker turned over Friday, sparking an inferno that has closed the parkway's on-ramp and the Veterans Expressway south of Hillsborough Avenue.
The tanker's driver, John Hopkins of Tampa, was given a $90 careless driving ticket for going about 40 mph in a 25 mph zone. But anyone who has driven on Independence Parkway might be forgiven for wondering if the design of the road might not have been a factor.
This, after all, is a road that takes in highway traffic moving at 50 to 60 mph on Eisenhower Boulevard and then expects that traffic to slow to 25 mph within a few hundred yards for a 90-degree turn.
State records show between 1995 and 1999, 26 serious traffic accidents were recorded at the Independence Parkway entrance ramp.
Christa Deason, spokeswoman for the state Department of Transportation, said the road's design should not be an issue.
"It is very clearly marked," she said of the 90-degree turn. "There's plenty of warning. The problem is people just don't do what they're supposed to do when driving."
Independence Parkway was built as a county road in the 1980s. Originally, it connected with Eisenhower Boulevard with a complete stop intersection, said Michael Washburn of DOT. But when the Veterans Expressway was built seven years ago, the intersection was changed to its current design -- one the state doesn't question.
"We feel the roadway is designed safely," Washburn said. "This ramp is signed to 25 mph to make this movement safely. Unfortunately this driver may not have done that."
Joe Carey said he was surprised to find a right angle turn coming off a busy highway soon after moving to the Independence Parkway area about a year ago. Carey, a 25-year-old sign installation worker, takes the parkway home from his St. Petersburg job every day.
If drivers overlook the left-turn signs, they'll quickly see the concrete retaining wall towering above them.
"If you're not paying attention, that wall will come up on you," Carey said. "You can just look at the wall and see how many people have missed the turn. There's paint markings all over the place."
STATE TO COVER REPAIRS: Taxpayers will not be footing the bill for the repairs to the Veterans Expressway and Independence Parkway.
The state Department of Transportation plans to use $2-million or more from its emergency fund to replace the bridge, but expects to be reimbursed by its insurance company. Damage like that caused by Friday's accident is covered by DOT's insurance.
DOT spokesman Mike Washburn said he expects the state's insurance company to seek payment from the truck driver's insurance company.
TAMPA -- Southbound Veterans Expressway commuters will be getting the option of a more direct temporary commute within two weeks.
A detour is being developed for the Veterans south of Hillsborough Avenue until the highway overpass damaged in Friday's gasoline tanker fire is repaired, Department of Transportation spokeswoman Christa Deason said Monday. Currently, motorists cannot go south on Veterans beyond Hillsborough Avenue.
Deason said drivers will be rerouted around the damaged overpass using sections of the northbound Veterans and the on-ramp to Independence Parkway. From there, motorists will travel onto a makeshift road built across the median that will connect with the undamaged southbound lanes past the overpass.
Both roads were expected to be closed for two months. Now, only Independence will remain closed.