By John Ney

Residents who use Lithia Pinecrest Rd. regularly to travel around the Brandon area will be pleased to hear that progress is being made in the widening of the busy road. However, according to county representatives, it is unlikely that any relief will be seen until 2018.

Approximately 70 residents attended a public meeting held by Hillsborough County to discuss the Project Development and Environmental (PD&E) study for proposed improvements to the two-lane road from S.R. 60 to C.R. 39, a distance of about 10.7 miles. The areas involved in the study include a number of communities in Brandon, Bloomingdale and Lithia.

According to Steve Gordillo, project manager for HDR Engineering, the PD&E identifies and evaluates alternative design concepts for improvements as well as the best design for review and comment. Spokespeople from Hillsborough County, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), and HDR Engineering were on hand to share information, answer questions, and to receive public input.

According to documents shared by Hillsborough County, currently portions of the roadway operate below the county's adopted minimum acceptable level of service standard.

The MPO documented future roadway needs in its 2025 Highway Needs Assessment. It identifies Lithia-Pinecrest Rd. as a future four-lane roadway between S.R. 60 and Bloomingdale Ave. and as a two-lane roadway from Bloomingdale Ave. to Fish Hawk Blvd. Lithia-Pinecrest Rd. between FishHawk Blvd. and C.R. 39 is not currently included in the MPO's 2025 Highway Needs Assessment. This assessment may be updated as a result of the study.

George May, the honorary mayor of Brandon and a resident of Bloomingdale for the past 15 years, says the PD&E originated from the Greater Brandon Chamber of Commerce which helped secure the funding from the Board of County Commissions (BOCC). "Do I like seeing trees cut down? No. On the other hand, I also don't like smelling smog, witnessing road rage, and sitting in traffic. Doing nothing is not an option," he says.

Pam Prysner, a resident of Lithia and president of R-Land says she does not want to see Lithia Pinecrest expanded outside of the Urban Service Boundary [which begins at FishHawk Blvd. and extends beyond C.R. 39]. "People moved to the rural service area because of the quality of life. Any increase in traffic is a threat to our way of life."  

According to Hillsborough County sources, improvements to Lithia Pinecrest Rd. are estimated at $180 million, half of which may be paid for by federal funding. To qualify for federal funding, Hillsborough County must follow federal highway administration guidelines. The final decision to accept federal funds and begin the project rests with the BOCC.

A public workshop to discuss alternative measures is planned for September 2008 and will provide residents with a better understanding of which projects will be undertaken and when they will be finished.

County sources say that the traffic corridor is estimated to be open in 2018.