County road projects moving right along
By TOM GERMOND
Article published on Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2008  |
PINELLAS COUNTY – Detours, barricades, pilings and heavy equipment. By now, motorists should be used to the scenery along U.S. 19 and east Ulmerton Road.
Expect more of the same in the next couple of years.
Work on U.S. 19 from north of 49th Street to south of 126th Avenue, which began in November 2006, is expected to be completed in summer 2009 at a cost of $89.2 million, according to the Florida Department of Transportation’s Web site. A DOT spokeswoman confirmed that the information on the Web site is current.
The work provides for six lanes, three in each direction, on U.S. 19 with two-lane, one-way frontage roads on each side of the highway.
The construction of U.S. 19, from south of Seville Boulevard to north of State Road 60, is under design. Proposed work calls for six lanes and two-lane frontage roads on each side. The proposed improvements along State Road 60 include widening to allow for dual left-turn lanes, eastbound and westbound, and the construction of an exclusive right-turn lane for eastbound traffic. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2009.
Another leg of the U.S. 19 project, from Whitney Road to Seville Boulevard, is under design and expected to start in the summer of 2009 at a cost of $65.4 million. It also is a six-lane project with frontage roads.
The frontage roads are expected to be used by motorists seeking access to businesses and residences, providing traffic relief for U.S. 19.
The major construction projects along U.S. 19 and Ulmerton Road isn’t considered unusual for the county the size of Pinellas.
“We are just trying to keep up,” said Kris Carson, a DOT spokeswoman. “We are still far behind even with these projects.”
Ulmerton Road, between U.S. 19 and 49th Street, is being widened from four to six lanes. Between 49th Street and Roosevelt Boulevard, the highway will be resurfaced. The projected completion date is this fall at a cost of $33 million
The widening of Ulmerton Road, from El Centro/Ranchero to U.S 19, is expected to be completed in spring 2009 at a cost of about $20 million. The roadway is being widened from four to six lanes.
Another U.S. 19 proposed project, improvements to the road north of Sunset Point Road to south of Countryside Boulevard, is being re-evaluated and is currently not funded for construction.
For more information about DOT’s Pinellas projects, go to www.dot.state.fl.us and click on the link pertaining to construction projects on Florida’s highways.
|
Article published on Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2008
Copyright © Tampa Bay Newspapers: All rights reserved. |
