What's going on with the detour along U.S. 301 south of Zephyrhills?
While the county has been replacing culverts under 301 just north of Chancey Road, traffic has been interrupted on a short stretch of 301.
Last week, for a time, traffic was allowed through on 301. No detour. And then the detour signs went back up. Is the work finished or not?
Remember, this is a job that was supposed to start and finish in August. It got delayed.
Then the heavy rains and hurricanes caused even more delays. They couldn't finish the job while the ground was soggy. Fair enough.
The delays got to be almost comical.
Alert reader Arjay Morgan of Zephyrhills called our attention to the detour sign.
"There has been an illuminated sign directing the detour and stating how long it will last," Morgan wrote. "The first sign said Aug. 13. That day came and went, the construction was ongoing. They changed the date to September something. Still no completion. Now the sign boasts of a reopening date sometime in October.
"The point here is that there hasn't been any noticeable construction, just the ever-changing dates on the sign."
In all fairness to the county and to Mr. Morgan, we disagree on two points. First, there has been some construction activity. Second, they're not changing the sign in a timely manner either.
Last week, the sign said the detour was in effect through Oct. 15. That was several days after Oct. 15. We're not in public relations, but it seems unwise to call attention to the fact that you missed the completion date.
Here's our suggestion. Play it safe. Have the sign say: Road closed ... ... till we're done.
More widening
Not long ago, it seemed State Road 54 east of Collier Parkway and west of the Interstate worked well as a four-lane divided highway. That was a few thousand new homes ago.
We knew there were plans to widen the highway eventually to six lanes. Those plans are coming together now.
County planners say the design is ready to get started any time. Construction is supposed to start in October 2006. The developer who hopes to build a massive regional mall along State Road 56 near the Interstate is supposed to pay a good chunk of the bill.
We can only hope that the road will be ready before the mall brings all those cars this way. It would be nice if the road were adequate for the traffic, at least for a little while. It'd also be nice if we could keep from tearing down all those trees they just planted along State Road 54.
Just a reminder
Pasco's transportation planners will hold a workshop from 4 to 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Land O'Lakes Recreation Complex on Collier Parkway to discuss how the county plans to spend its transportation money well into the future. They're looking for feedback.
A second workshop is planned from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Thursday at Gulf View Square mall.
-- Want to vent about traffic problems? Drivers' Side welcomes commuters' rants, comments and suggestions. Send e-mail to hegarty@sptimes.com or leave a phone message at 813 909-4610.
