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Florida Puts Bridge, Road Projects On Fast Track

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Published: October 17, 2008

TALLAHASSEE - Florida is hitting the gas on road and bridge projects to create 39,000 jobs across the state, including the Tampa Bay area.

Lawmakers have already approved the $1.4 billion in transportation projects now getting a boost from Gov. Charlie Crist's initiative to bolster the economy by spending state dollars more quickly.

The state will shorten permitting times and otherwise remove "red tape" to move those projects ahead of schedule, Transportation Secretary Stephanie Kopelousos said Wednesday.

That includes $123.4 million in Bay area roadwork, such as:

• Expanding the Interstate 275 off-ramp leading to the State Road 60 airport flyover.

• Replacing the State Road 39/Buchman Highway timber bridge over the Hillsborough River.

• Resurfacing 2.6 miles of U.S. 301/S.R. 43 in Riverview, replacing two traffic signals and constructing sidewalk.

• Extending future State Road 686 in Pinellas County from east of 40th Street to west of 28th Street and adding a ramp connecting I-275 to 118th Avenue.

Every dollar spent on transportation construction yields a $5.60 return for the economy, Crist said. "These projects will generate - this is an incredible number - $7.84 billion in economic stimulus."

The exclusion of mass transit from the list disappointed Brad Ashwell of the Florida Public Interest Research Group. Not only is mass transit more environment-friendly, it produces more jobs, he said.

Ashwell also raised concerns about consumer safety and the environment. "I want to believe that the governor and secretary have good intentions, but I don't trust the builders and a lot of companies who will want to take advantage of this streamlined permitting process."

Crist said his mandate for Kopelousos is "not to sacrifice safety, of course; not to sacrifice the environment - but to move forward and move faster in a common-sense, responsible way."

Reporter Catherine Dolinski can be reached at (850) 222-8382.

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