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S.R. 54 Work Set To End In December

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By GEOFF FOX, The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 26, 2008

LAND O' LAKES - A recently begun state project to widen State Road 54 from four to six lanes is expected to be finished in December.

The $14.5 million Department of Transportation project will enhance the heavily traveled section from just east of U.S. 41 to County Road 54. The work began Feb. 3, paid for by the Richard E. Jacobs Group, developer of Cypress Creek Town Center.

The project is expected to facilitate access to the Cypress Creek Town Center mall, scheduled to open in October, without creating congestion on State Road 56, which also will be widened from four to six lanes west of Interstate 75. The S.R. 56 portion is tentatively expected to be complete by September.

Construction will be done day and night, but lanes will only be closed between 7 p.m. and 6 a.m. DOT spokeswoman Kris Carson said there are no plans to close any lanes for the next two weeks.

Meanwhile, construction continues on C.R. 54 (Wesley Chapel Boulevard) from Old Pasco Road to Interstate 75. Work is expected to be mostly done by April 27, although there still may be minor items to complete.

Jim O'Neill, who lives off Old Pasco Road and criticized the amount of time being spent on the project at a public workshop in January, seemed pleased by recent progress. "Most days you go by and they're actually doing something," he said. "It does appear they're making an effort to finish it now where before it seemed like there was no effort. I think they could have had it done a long time ago if they'd been working like they are now."

Reporter Geoff Fox can be reached at (813) 948-4217 or gfox@tampatrib.com.

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