Region gets $41M to use for roadwork
The money will be used on Hernando, Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas county roads.
By ASJYLYN LODER
Published December 3, 2005
Roads in the west-central Florida region will get more than $41-million in state funding over the next two years, with half of that going to Hillsborough County, the state Department of Transportation announced this week.
The money, part of the state's growth management plan, will help widen regional roads in Hernando, Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties. Each of the counties must match the funding from the state.
"That's part of growth management," said Don Skelton, secretary of transportation for District 7, which includes much of west central Florida. The matching program offers counties an incentive to invest in regional roads, he said.
Hillsborough County received $20.5-million to help widen U.S. 301 and Bruce B. Downs Boulevard. The county, in partnership with local developers, will contribute an additional $47.2-million to the projects, for a total of $67.7-million.
The funding is especially important to U.S. 301, said Ned Baier, Hillsborough County's manager of transportation planning and development review.
"We're advancing road improvements on U.S. 301 by about 15 years," Baier said.
The county will spend more than $52.7-million to widen U.S. 301 to four lanes. The state's share of $13-million will pay for construction on a 3.38-mile stretch from Gibsonton Drive to Balm Road, Baier said. The $39.7-million provided by the county in partnership with local developers will help pay to make it four lanes down to State Road 674, Baier said.
The county has $12-million in additional transportation grants and is seeking new grants and negotiating with developers to pay for the rest of the project, Baier said.
In addition, state transportation officials awarded $7.5-million to help widen Bruce B. Downs Boulevard from Palm Springs to Pebble Creek. The county will provide a $7.5-million match for that project.
Both projects are in a design phase, with construction scheduled to begin in 2007. The projects, both only phases of extensive road-widening planned for those roads, will be completed by 2009, Baier said.
Pasco County received more than $12.7-million for road widening on SR 54, SR 56 and SR 52, with another $16.1-million in local matches.
The county will spend $15.8-million of the total to purchase right of way to widen SR 54 to six lanes from SR 581 to Curley Road. Another $8.8-million is slated for the purchase of right of way to make SR 52 four lanes from U.S. 41 to County Road 581. The remaining $4.2-million will help pay to make SR 54 and SR 56 six lanes from from U.S. 41 to I-75.
Hernando County won $6.5-million to purchase right of way on County Line Road from East Road to Mariner Boulevard and from the Suncoast Parkway to U.S. 41. Hernando and Pasco counties will both contribute to the local $6.5-million match, said state Rep. David Russell Jr., R-Brooksville.
Another $37-million in federal and state money already had been slated for County Line Road, Russell said.
Pinellas County received $1.5-million to buy right of way along Bryan Dairy Road from Starkey Road to 72nd Street. The county will contribute $1.5-million in matching funds.
The roster of projects has some additional administrative hurdles to clear before becoming final, possibly by February.
But Skelton said he did not expect any changes.
--Asjylyn Loder can be reached at aloder@sptimes.com or 352 754-6127.