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Revving Up Traffic Topics

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By LAURA KINSLER

The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 3, 2008

NEW TAMPA - When Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio hosted a town hall meeting here in March, two things stuck with her: It seemingly takes forever to get to New Tampa during rush hour, and residents don't know which road projects are moving forward and which ones are stalled.

Many people still believe Bruce B. Downs Boulevard will be widened to eight lanes from the Pasco County line to Bearss Avenue. They assume the Florida Department of Transportation will start widening Interstate 75 as soon as the flyover bridge is complete. They hang onto hope that one day the east-west toll road will be a reality.

So the mayor and her staff thought it might be a good idea for transportation officials to lay all their cards on the table. They organized a briefing, set for Monday morning, with officials from Tampa, Hillsborough County, Pasco County, FDOT and the Tampa-Hillsborough County Expressway Authority.

"There were lots of questions at the town hall meeting, and there are so many agencies to deal with," Tampa Public Works Director Steve Daignault said. "We thought it would be a good idea to get everyone together in a room to share the status of their projects."

The public is invited to the open discussion.

"I'm not sure the people in New Tampa really know what projects are funded and realistic," Iorio said. "There is no funding to widen I-75 - none. The only part of I-75 that is four lanes is from Leesburg to I-4. Everywhere else it's six lanes."

Although construction is scheduled to start on the Bruce B. Downs widening, Hillsborough County may not secure the $100 million needed to widen the southernmost segment. Tampa Palms residents have said the project will create congestion where it narrows from eight lanes to four.

Daignault said county engineers say it won't create a problem.

"They don't see this as a bottleneck," he said.

Iorio worries about another potential bottleneck on Morris Bridge Road.

"We're going to widen Cross Creek all the way to Morris Bridge Road, but there is no plan to widen Morris Bridge Road," Iorio said.

The city also has money and the design for a bridge over I-75 connecting Tampa Palms and West Meadows, but Iorio said the city will not build the bridge without the east-west toll road, which would connect Tampa Palms with I-275.

"It begs the question: What is the real status of the east-west road?" she said. "Is it going to happen? If not, it will affect a lot of people's lives."

Iorio said she doesn't believe the project is feasible because the tolls would be too costly.

"I think a lot of people have pinned their hopes on the east-west road," Iorio said. "And that project is not moving forward. At this point, it really is up to the expressway authority to continue on with this private company, but they will not even fund a $500,000 study. That doesn't give me a lot of confidence."

Pasco officials will brief the others on the schedule for the eastern extension of State Road 56 and when or whether the county will allow road connections between K-Bar Ranch and Meadow Pointe.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: New Tampa/southern Pasco County transportation discussion

WHERE: New Tampa Regional Library, 10001 Cross Creek Blvd.

WHEN: From 10 a.m. to noon Monday

INFORMATION: Call Liana Lopez at (813) 274-8251

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

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