Osprey Observer » roadway

Lithia Pinecrest Road Widening Public Meeting Draws Crowds

Tamas Mondovics — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 01:17:29 +0000

Hundreds attended a recent public meeting concerning the proposed widening of approximately an 11 mile section of Lithia Pinecrest Rd. from its current two travel lane roadway to a six travel lane roadway, affecting the Brandon, Bloomingdale and Lithia communities from S.R. 60 in Brandon to C.R. 39. Local residents who showed up at the Palmetto Club at FishHawk Ranch to hear more extensively about the project had the opportunity to view maps, elevations, a video presentation of the proposed change, as well as talk to county officials on-hand to address questions and concerns. Hillsborough County, in cooperation with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), has been working on preparing a Project Development and Environment (PDE) Study to consider the proposed widening of Lithia Pinecrest Rd., which according to county officials and many local residents, at this point, is simply not sufficient to handle the traffic. “Portions of this roadway currently operate below the county’s adopted minimum acceptable level-of-service standard,” said Hillsborough County Engineering Division Public Works Center Project Manager William Alford. Alford explained that the meeting was strictly about gathering information and that the improvements are intended to accommodate both existing and future traffic volumes as well as enhance motorist safety and reduce emergency response times. But while area residents in general agree that something needs to be done, just as many were unsatisfied due to the lack of information offered by the county. For starters, county officials were faced with complaints that the video presentation of the project seemed to be short on facts. The hot topic that seemed to concern most included the lack of traffic lights planned for the Valrico portion of the project. “I don’t see how they can talk about safety. It is difficult to turn onto Lithia Pinecrest going north now. How is that going to be better trying to cross three lanes and then merge in to three lanes of traffic without a traffic light,” said Gene Will of Valrico, who has lived on Hummingbird Ln. for the past 40 years and is very concerned about being able to turn northbound onto Lithia Pinecrest once the six lane road project is completed. For many residents the small but problematic as well as infamous, Bell Shoals Road and Lithia Pinecrest intersection just a few yards south of Lumsden was the worry of the day-although not on the agenda for the meeting-the proposed road widening plan will include the turning Bell Shoals Road, into a cul-de-sac, cutting traffic flow from it to merge onto Lithia Pinecrest. That is a big problem for Sue Curd with Curd and Associates who feels that the change would choke or at least alter the volume that her business generates. “I will lose business,” she said. Jim Barfield, also a Valrico resident for the past four decades whose wife Jean became Honorary Mayor of Brandon in1996, was disturbed by the fact that the County took this long to decide on thinking about the roads. “The County has been passing out building permits to developers for years. Now they have a problem on their hands and rightly; nobody is happy,” Barfield said. Good, bad or ugly, the meeting seemed to have accomplished its purpose and as expected could and would not please everyone while provided an opportunity to hear or to be heard. One thing is sure. This project will be done and Lithia Pinecrest Road will be a six lane major artery for commuters even if its success remains to be seen. For ore information about the project or for project updates, public comments and concerns please visit www.lpcstudy.com.

Intersections Get Upgrade Per Request

Carisa Biesecker — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 20:00:55 +0000

Hillsborough County plans to make the intersections of Kings Ave. and Victoria St. and Providence Lakes Blvd. and Kings Ave. a bit more pedestrian-friendly in the upcoming months.
Located near Brandon High School, the project concerning Kings Ave. and Victoria St. will feature the revamp of the existing traffic light, a pedestrian button, sidewalk ramps and crosswalks.
“This is part of our signalization program to increase the efficiency and safety of pedestrians in our area,” stated Hillsborough County spokesman Steve Valdez. “It is a heavy pedestrian area.” Which hits the nail on the head with a study having been done five years ago leading to the findings that 12,000 vehicles travel the roadway, a roadway originally slated for a capacity of 8,000. This peak of vehicle traffic is usually seen when the school’s session is beginning or ending. “This project will take care of these peak times,” added Valdez.
The intersection of Providence Lakes Blvd. and Kings Ave. will be fitted with a new traffic light, a pedestrian button, sidewalk ramps and crosswalks as well.
According to Valdez, the cost of both projects will be somewhere in the ballpark of $200,000 which is pulled from the Transportation Trust Fund – an account set aside specifically for transportation issues initialized from citizens’ taxes.
Both projects are expected to begin in the next few months, with no initial date having been given for its ending due to the steel mast arm poles to be used in the projects. Made site specific, these factory created poles are Florida mandated due to their ability to withstand hurricane winds and take some time to be fashioned with multiple orders coming into the factory. But no worries should come to motorists traveling these roadways as Valdez assures the public that no delays will be incurred.
“There are no geometric improvements. We may put down a little paint, but there should be no delays,” Valdez concluded. The next project the county will begin on will be the finishing of the third installment of Boyette Rd. in Riverview, but, for now, no other projects are scheduled for the Brandon area.
To learn more about any of the projects mentioned above, please visit www.hillsboroughcounty.com or call 272-5275.

County to Initiate Third Phase of Boyette

Carisa Biesecker — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 19:57:52 +0000

With daily traffic coming to a gridlock along the Boyette Rd. construction corridor, residents are looking for a silver lining in it all, something that may take a little while in finding as Steve Valdez, Hillsborough County spokesman, confirms that the second phase will not be completed until February of 2009.
Consisting of roadway from Balm Riverview Rd. to Donneymoore Dr., Boyette Rd. is being made into a four lane road, capable of accommodating the 24,000 vehicles that travel its cement contours each day. The problem is the need for turn lanes. So far, the county has incorporated a left turn lane on Boyette Rd. for those traveling westbound. But to its detriment as gridlock is still occurring in the area.
“This time around, we have tightened up on our contracts for bid,” states Valdez. “The contracts do not allow for turn lanes to be taken out. We are hoping for a much smoother commute for everybody during the phase three construction.”
The county has plans to begin the third phase of Boyette Rd. construction, from Donneymoore Dr. to Bell Shoals Rd., in March of 2009. Still keeping with the existing alterations, four lanes, bike lanes, curbs and gutters, the county seeks to complete the project within an 18-month timeframe. The only difference will be the overhaul of the connecting bridge along Boyette Rd., which Valdez says will be totally reconstructed, leading to a total cost of $30 million for the third phase. In total, the combined phases are expected to cost over $50 million.
Once completed, Valdez mentions that the roadway should be able to have capacity for not only the 24,000 vehicles currently traveling the road but should also be able to provide enough capacity for 6,000 more cars, totaling a traveling vehicle volume of 30,000 daily.
To those who are amidst the orange cones and exhaust fumes, Valdez says, “Construction is never a pleasant thing, especially when you live amongst it. Everyone’s patience has been appreciated. When it is said and done, their [residents] lives are going to be much easier on a daily basis.”
For more information, please call 272-5275.