Trail will close to allow for traffic improvements
By JEAN HELLER
Published May 2, 2004
The state roadies' contractor for the Pinellas Trail bridge project at 38th Avenue N in St. Petersburg is going to have to close the trail in that area for a few days starting Friday. When the trail closes for the day at sunset, it will remain closed until its regular opening time May 10 at 6 a.m.
You will be reminded of this because the contractor is closing 38th Avenue to through traffic at the same time so workers can set the beams for a new pedestrian bridge. Signs will be posted advising motorists of the road closure and the detour route.
The reason for all this is to improve safety and pedestrian traffic flow along the Pinellas Trail by building a pedestrian bridge over 38th Avenue. Additional improvements include sidewalk construction and drainage improvements.
The project is located next to Tyrone Boulevard approximately three-fourths of a mile east of the Seminole Bridge over Long Bayou. The bridge will replace an at-grade trail crossing at 38th Avenue, which is a congested four-lane street at that point. Work began last November and won't be finished until late this summer, but the road and trail closures are only for the weekend.
A little pain for a lot of gain, we think.
* * *
It sits there, black, shiny, new and tempting - well, maybe not so shiny - so near and yet so far.
The missing link on Roosevelt Boulevard between the interstate and 28th Street appears to be finished except for some striping, and yet it is blocked from use by a mess of orange cones.
It is such a good idea, this project from the city of St. Petersburg. There is a two-lane exit from the northbound interstate onto westbound Roosevelt. But traffic in the right exit lane must merge with the left to get onto Roosevelt. Go a few hundred feet, and motorists who want to turn right onto 28th Street must move again to the right to get into the turn lane.
A new strip of asphalt has been put down that extends the right-turn lane at 28th Street all the way back to the interstate exit ramp. No more merges, no more lane switches.
If only it would open.
It will, and probably within the next two weeks. St. Petersburg's RoadStuffMaven Mike Connors says there is still some detail work to be done by the contractor, an inspection by the state roadie asphalt police and then striping.
"And then we'll be open for business," Mike told us.
With Carillon busting out faster than a petunia on Miracle-Gro, anything that can untangle traffic at that busy and frustrating intersection can't come soon enough.
* * *
Harry Hemenway of Pinellas Park asked us to check into some speed bumps on 40th Street N between 82nd Avenue and Gateway Centre Boulevard. Harry thinks the bumps are too high and too jarring for a vehicle traveling at the posted 25 mph.
So we went out to take a look.
First, we had to find 40th Street between 82nd Avenue and Gateway Centre Boulevard. This is not the easiest thing to do. But we got there, and we found numerous speed bumps.
Actually, in that area they are called speed tables, and indeed you could seat 12 around one of them for a repast of foie gras and Chateaubriand (named for Francois-Rene de Chateaubriand, the French guy who invented beef).
The speed tables seemed to us to be the same height as their brethren all over, though we agree with Harry that 25 mph seems a bit fast to take them without jiggling the eyeballs. We're also not quite sure why there have to be that many on such a short stretch of road.
Table for four, please.
* * *
If anyone has a drum or a trumpet handy, could we get a little drumroll or a mighty fanfare for the Eyeball Jiggler of the Week?
Traveling south on Fourth Street N, as you enter the intersection of Central Avenue, there is a huge piece of pavement missing - exposing the brick of a street long ago.
You can wax nostalgic over the days when brick streets were more commonplace in St. Petersburg, or you can grab the steering wheel and try to miss a bone-crunching experience.
We would prefer the former but recommend the latter.
* * *
Speaking of EJWs, that monster we mentioned about five weeks ago, reaching out from the curb to bite your tires as you turn left from First Street N onto westbound Fifth Avenue, has been fixed. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
* * *
And speaking of EJWs that haven't been fixed, what is with that hole in the roadway on 31st Street S just north of 18th Avenue? It has been there forever, dears.
It is blocked off by sawhorses, but wouldn't it be just so much easier and aesthetically more appealing to fix the problem?
Where, we cry yet again into the night, are standards?
* * *
Boy, talk about a line-of-sight obstruction.
How about 40th Street N at 78th Avenue on the southwest corner? There are tons of melaleuca trees and brush, and it is impossible to see past it to oncoming traffic when you're going north on 40th Street (which most people won't do because there's nothing there) or want to turn right on 78th Avenue (which a lot of people want to do).
It's a crash waiting to happen.
- Dr. Delay can be reached by e-mail at docdelay@sptimes.com by fax at 727 893-8675 or by snail mail at 490 First Ave., S, St. Petersburg, FL 33701.
