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State intends to widen Dade City bypass
By CHASE SQUIRES, Times Staff Writer DADE CITY -- Capping three years of study and discussion, the state Department of Transportation this week announced it will press ahead with plans to widen the U.S. 98 bypass around Dade City from two to four lanes. The decision completes a planning and environmental impact study that began June 24, 1999. To make way for the $24-million, 1.6-mile project, the state will have to buy and remove six homes and six businesses along the route, spokeswoman Marian Pscion said Friday. Dade City Vice Mayor Bill Dennis -- the city's representative on the county Metropolitan Planning Organization -- said the DOT made enough changes to the original plan to make the project acceptable, although he thinks the money would be better spent improving busy State Road 52. "As far as the bypass is concerned, they want to do something with that," Dennis said. U.S. 301, which connects to both the north and south ends of the bypass, is four lanes across, Dennis noted. The state apparently wanted the connecting piece four lanes as well. The other option would have been to widen U.S. 301 -- also known as Seventh Street -- through the middle of downtown. "I certainly don't want that," Dennis said. Businessman Pete Odom, who runs All-Pro Tires near the connection of the bypass and U.S. 301 on the north side of town, said he is pleased the DOT is considering changes to allow more crossovers to businesses along the route and eliminating the need for potentially dangerous U-turns. But like Dennis, he sees a far greater need for work on SR 52 from Dade City to Interstate 75. "Take the priority they've placed on the 98 bypass, and apply it to 52," he said. Dennis is also hopeful priorities will change. The 98 bypass is not in DOT's five-year plans, and no money has been allocated for design, right of way purchase or construction.
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