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Bruce B. Downs Widening Could Begin By End Of Year

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By LAURA KINSLER | The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 11, 2008

NEW TAMPA Hillsborough County should finish the design for the first phase of an eight-lane Bruce B. Downs Boulevard next month and expects to put the $104 million project out to bid by October.

"Construction is scheduled to start in December or January," Hillsborough County Commission Chairman Ken Hagan said. "They told me it might even be earlier."

It could be later. The Florida Department of Transportation recently circulated a schedule projecting the construction to start as late as December 2009.

"They build a lot of fluff time into their schedule," project manager William Alford said. "We're working from our schedule. We feel like it's realistic."

The county expects to submit its design plan to the FDOT on March 3 for review and comments, which should take about three months. During that time, FDOT will prepare a bid package and checklist.

Then, the county will prepare the final plan and submit it to FDOT by July 1. Assuming the county and local FDOT officials resolve all outstanding issues, the plan will be submitted to Tallahassee for review in early August. Then the state must submit the project to federal transportation officials for approval because federal funds are being used to help pay for the widening.

Federal authorization and dollars should be received by September. Alford said the county's real estate department should have plenty of time to acquire the slivers of right of way needed for several expanded intersections.

The county has another reason for timing the project to start next winter. "The flyover should be substantially completed by the time we start," Alford said.

The county already has relocated its underground utilities at the Interstate 75/Bruce B. Downs interchange, where the FDOT is building a flyover ramp from southbound Bruce B. Downs to southbound I-75.

The boulevard will be widened to eight lanes with sidewalks and a paved multiuse trail. The plan also calls for wide shoulders to accommodate bicycles and sets land aside for future transit use. The project from Bearss Avenue to County Line Road is divided into three phases. The first phase, from Palm Springs Drive to Pebble Creek Drive, is 3.4 miles long and should be completed by 2011.

The northern segment, 1.5 miles extending from Pebble Creek to the Pasco County line, is well into the design phase and fully funded for $35 million. Construction on that segment is planned for July 2011 and should last two years.

Engineers have nearly completed design work for the 3.6-mile southern segment, from Palm Springs to Bearss, but the county Public Works Department could end up shelving that phase until funding becomes available. It's expected to cost at least $100 million.

The department will look to the county commissioners for guidance on whether to pursue land options for future pond sites for the southern segment.

Reporter Laura Kinsler can be reached at (813) 865-4844 or lkinsler@tampatrib.com.

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