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New plan developed for Gandy
By SUSAN THURSTON, Times Staff Writer TAMPA -- The head of the agency that owns the Lee Roy Selmon Crosstown Expressway said Tuesday he has a plan for the Gandy Connector that could keep neighborhoods intact while also meeting traffic needs. Pat McCue, executive director of the Tampa-Hillsborough County Expressway Authority, wouldn't give details, but said people will like it. "Whatever we do would be innovative and unique. It would not be a piece of garbage," he said. McCue made his announcement during a meeting of Hillsborough County's Metropolitan Planning Organization, which is reviewing the proposed connector. If built, the expressway would offer drivers a high-speed link from the Crosstown to the Gandy Bridge. The state has two options on the table: an elevated highway on the north edge of Gandy Boulevard and a bypass through neighborhoods to the south. The state also has the option of doing nothing. People who live near Gandy say either road would destroy homes and businesses. They want the state to kill the project, but are willing to look at McCue's plan if it speeds up the process and doesn't ruin their neighborhood. "We have people who are trying to sell their homes," said Ellen Nimon, who represents people in the Regency Cove mobile home park just north of Gandy. "They are living in limbo." State transportation and Pinellas County officials have argued the region needs the connector for hurricane evacuations and faster commutes between the two counties. At Tuesday's meeting, Russ Sloan, president of the St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce, called it an "absolutely essential regional road." McCue said the authority needs the connector to accommodate increasing traffic on the Crosstown, a toll road. Without it, motorists have to maneuver through red lights along Gandy between the Crosstown and the Gandy Bridge. McCue estimates his plan could be built in seven years, long before the state's 2025 projection. He needs about 60 days to study the idea with state engineers and, if feasible, present it to the public for review. "Everybody's looking for an answer and they don't want to drag this out," he said. "I'm not interested in a 20-year solution." The authority has said it would help pay for the state project, estimated at $300-million. McCue doesn't know the amount at this point, but said his plan appears workable. The authority sold bonds to help build the Crosstown. McCue's plan comes about a month after state Sen. Jim Sebesta, R-St. Petersburg, announced that he, too, has a viable alternative for the connector. He hasn't revealed the details, but also said that it will have broad support. -- Susan Thurston can be reached at 226-3394 or thurston@sptimes.com.
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From the Times Ernest Hooper |
