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State picks favored path for parkway's extension
By JIM ROSS, Times Staff Writer
The state on Tuesday released details of the general path it would like to follow if it extends the Suncoast Parkway through Citrus County. The "preferred corridor," as it is called in planning circles, extends from the parkway's northern terminus at U.S. 98 and winds north to State Road 44, then northwest to U.S. 19 at Red Level. The corridor runs on either side of existing utility lines until it reaches a point just south of County Road 486. At that point, the corridor is exclusively to the east of the utility lines. The corridor is a wide swath of land; the state hopes that the parkway extension, if approved, would fall within that swath. The parkway's first phase stretches 42 miles between the Veterans Expressway in Hillsborough County and U.S. 98 in northern Hernando County. It is a limited-access toll road. The state has long considered extending the parkway through Citrus, a move that would please the County Commission and the county's organized business community. Many environmentalists have objected, however, saying the road would damage sensitive lands, upset wildlife habitat and lead to unwanted urban sprawl. Florida's Turnpike consistently has said that it has not decided whether to build the extension. Still, just in case the answer turns out to be "yes," the state last year announced plans to spend $45-million -- $25.6-million for right-of-way acquisition and $19.4-million for preliminary engineering -- in 2008. When studying what route the Citrus extension might follow, state planners developed many options. They presented them during a public meeting in October and received significant feedback from the public. To identify a "preferred corridor," the state analyzed advantages and disadvantages of the various options. The planners eventually selected portions of three alternative corridors to form one preferred corridor, according to a news release turnpike officials issued Tuesday afternoon. With that task completed, the original study area -- a large section stretching from west of U.S. 19 to within the Withlacoochee State Forest -- has been greatly reduced. From here, the state will evaluate alternative alignments and schedule another public information meeting this summer to solicit more input. Environmentalists likely will express concern that the corridor is close to at least two sensitive areas: the Annutteliga Hammock and the Lecanto Sandhills. After the state identifies a preferred alignment and conceptual design, another public hearing will be held in 2004, the news release said. The "no-build" alternative will continue to be a viable option throughout the process, the state has said.
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