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Disruptions likely from road projects

A state official warns of the unpredictable nature of the resurfacing work on Tarpon Springs' two major roads.

By ROBIN STEIN
Published September 22, 2006

TARPON SPRINGS - State contractors will begin resurfacing the city's two major thoroughfares in about two weeks, and city officials are urging businesses and residents to brace themselves for disruptions.

The Florida Department of Transportation project, which is slated to take nearly two years, is already stirring up questions, particularly from the estimated 400 businesses that will be directly affected.

City officials are frustrated they do not have more answers.

They said the problem is that FDOT will not provide any sort of detailed schedule, despite repeated requests.

Now, city officials are urging people to direct inquires straight to the FDOT project administrator, Daniel White. At Tuesday night's City Commission meeting, they referred multiple times to White, each time slowly repeating the office and cell phone numbers where he can be reached.

"We are at the mercy of FDOT," Mayor Beverley Billiris said. "We have no control."

Reached at his office Wednesday, White said FDOT projects are inevitably unpredictable, especially one of this scale and complexity.

The $17-million undertaking involves a 3-mile stretch of Pinellas Avenue from Meres Boulevard to the Pasco County line, and Tarpon Avenue from Huey Avenue to Pinellas Avenue.

"We have a timeline, but the city is expecting too much," he said. "I can't give them specifics. ... Once you start construction, you never know when you're going to be where."

White also pointed out that the city itself pushed for the utility and decorative streetscape work that is affecting the timetable and uncertainty

"We're putting a sanitary sewer line right down Alt. (U.S.) 19 - at the city's request," he said.

This work is not expected to interrupt water service, but will require five daylong street closures, he said. The stretch of Pinellas Avenue between Boyer and Lemon streets will be closed first, beginning Oct. 9.

White said he does not foresee any complete closures on Tarpon Avenue, but anticipates that early next year, crews will begin ripping out the sidewalks along both streets. The plan is to keep a city representative up to date at weekly progress meetings.

White said he had not yet been deluged by calls, but welcomes the inquiries.

"That's why they pay me," he said.

There were already a handful at the City Commission meeting Tuesday.

One resident asked commissioners whether the city had explored the option of night construction to minimize disruption.

Jessie Burke voiced concerns about people who rely on the No. 66 bus line and whether bus stops will be moved or routes altered by the construction.

"It's going to be chaos for these citizens who are least equipped to deal with it," said Burke.

The mayor agreed that the city needs to get the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority involved to mitigate one of the many complications the resurfacing project is likely to create.

"I can see the writing on the wall," Billliris said. "This is going to be a very difficult process."

[Last modified September 22, 2006, 00:32:44]