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JOSE CARDENASThe construction delay onoverpasses that were scheduled to open in December is a real rough patch for businessowners.
CLEARWATER - Two flyover overpasses on U.S. 19 that originally were to open in December are running almost a year behind schedule, but authorities say they should be substantially finished by summer of next year.
The lanes being built over Sunset Point and NE Coachman roads should open by August 2007, said Florida Department of Transportation spokeswoman Marian Scorza. She added, however, that additional work will continue and the project won't be declared technically finished until December 2007.
The delay is bad news for business people near the intersections who have hoped more customers will drop in once the construction ends.
"When I signed my lease I made sure I got two extra years. If I got two bad (business ) years here I wanted to get two good years,'' said Joe Gagliardo, 41 owner of Clearwater Disc Golf Store, which sits in a small shopping mall at the northwest side of Sunset Point and U.S. 19. "It is disappointing.''
Hung Nghiem said she bought Ocean Nails six months ago and the previous owner said the project would be done in December.
"Some days I don't even have one customer,'' said Nghiem, 39, whose store is in the same shopping mall as Gagliardo's. "One more year is very difficult.''
When the flyovers open, they will be the latest pieces in a long-range effort to improve the flow of traffic on U.S. 19 and make the highway safer. The series of projects involves 13 miles of highway at a cost of $160-million.
The flyovers are "supposed to make it so you can go without (stopping for) any traffic lights in the area,'' Scorza said.
Officials also hope that forcing vehicles headed north and south to cross the intersections above vehicles going east and west will improve safety.
In 2001, State Farm Insurance put U.S. 19's crossings at Sunset Point Road, Drew Street and Tampa Road on its list of Florida's 10 most dangerous intersections.
The contractor for the Sunset Point and Coachman roads project - Hubbard Construction Co. - normally would be charged for the days it is late on the project.
But Scorza said it won't be charged for 218 of the days the project is late. That's because delays on those days were caused by things beyond the contractor's control - such as problems with utilities.
Factors, such as strong hurricane seasons in 2004 and 2005, a leaking water main and delays in fabrication of steel beams have contributed to the delays, Scorza said.
Scorza said Hubbard Construction, based in Orlando, is to report on a recovery plan for the 112 days for which it is responsible.
"Construction is very complicated and a lot of things have to come together,'' Scorza said.
Meanwhile, the price of the project has increased from $45.9-million to $46.5-million.
Back near the small shopping mall at Sunset and U.S. 19, traffic moves along frontage lanes on both sides of the construction. Business owners say the construction scene makes it confusing for customers to find places.
But the opening of the flyovers won't necessarily translate into more customers, said Angy Habashy, 18, a cashier at Queen Cleopatra American Mediterranean Gourmet Food, which is in the same shopping center as Clearwater Disc Golf. She said she has been asked by people where to make a U-turn to get to a certain store.
Though the construction will be finished and there will still be frontage lanes running along the businesses, she said most through-traffic on U.S. 19 will whiz by on the flyovers.
"There are advantages and disadvantages,'' said Habashy.
There already are overpasses on U.S. 19 at East Bay and Ulmerton roads and State Road 580. In December, the transportation department opened the latest one at Drew Street. It cost $30-million.
Two others are planned.
One at Enterprise Road is expected to cost $42-million. Construction is scheduled to start in 2007.
Another one is planned for Belleair Road and is expected to cost $67-million.
Construction there is scheduled to start in 2009.
Each project takes about four years to complete.