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Ridge Road Widening Gets Bulk Of Budget

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By KEVIN WIATROWSKI

kwiatrowski@tampatrib.com

Published: December 12, 2008

NEW PORT RICHEY - The Department of Transportation plans to spend $53.7 million in Pasco County next year, the bulk of it on expanding the eastern end of Ridge Road to four lanes.

State transportation officials revealed their proposed five-year budget for Pasco on Thursday at the monthly meeting of the county's metropolitan planning organization. The organization plots out transportation projects countywide. Members include the five county commissioners and the mayor of each of the county's four cities.

The DOT's plan includes money for road construction in New Port Richey, airport maintenance in Zephyrhills and railroad preservation in Lacoochee.

The first phase of the plan starts in July.

The single largest expense next year will be $38 million to widen Ridge Road between Little and Moon Lake roads. That heavily traveled portion of Ridge Road provides the only access for the main campus of Pasco-Hernando Community College, aircraft-parts maker Pall Aeropower and the neighborhood of Hidden Lake.

The 2010 work schedule also includes $6.2 million for repaving about 14.5 miles of Interstate 75 from County Road 54 (Wesley Chapel Boulevard) in Wesley Chapel to the Hernando County line.

Also in the work plan for next year is $2.2 million to install streetlights on the northern end of U.S. 19 between Denton Avenue and the Hernando County line.

PASCO FIVE-YEAR PLAN

The DOT's five-year plan for Pasco County includes a variety of other projects slated for the coming years. That list includes:

2010: $55 million to rebuild the interchange of Interstates 75 and 275 at the Pasco-Hillsborough county line; $22.8 million to add a continuous right-turn lane along 11.5 miles of U.S. 19 between the Pinellas County line and State Road 52.

2011: $13 million to buy right of way for widening State Road 54 between Curley Road and Morris Bridge Road.

2012: $31.7 million to widen U.S. 41 between Tower Road and Connerton Boulevard.

Reporter Kevin Wiatrowski can be reached at (813) 948-4201.

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