Pasco
Overpass Lanes Could Ease U.S. 19 Congestion
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Published: September 18, 2008
NEW PORT RICHEY - "Pray For Me, I Drive On U.S. 19." That bumper sticker has been seen for decades on cars driving the heavily congested road.
Thousands of residents drive the major north-south artery every day, and residents may have as many ideas for fixing the six-lane section of U.S. 19 that runs through Pasco County.
State engineers say elevated through-lanes at four busy intersections might be the ticket. The long-term plan for building overpass lanes at State Road 54, Ridge Road, S.R. 52 and County Line Road was unveiled at a recent workshop hosted by the Florida Department of Transportation.
Continuous right turn lanes and the redesign of medians might become reality much sooner - by 2010 - based on the current DOT schedule.
About 100 residents showed up at the open house to share their ideas and concerns.
George Denise and others said that safety needs to be the No. 1 priority. To increase visibility of oncoming traffic and pedestrians, cars should sit angled at intersections in staggered lanes, he said.
The way cars sit at intersections now blocks drivers' views, Denise argued.
Denise described one incident in which a person in a wheelchair traveled to the center of the crosswalk and had to back up after the light changed to avoid being hit by drivers.
On her comment form, Joan Van Tilburg expressed concern about crisscrossing traffic on eastbound S.R. 52 at U.S. 19. Drivers turn left from southbound U.S. 19 onto S.R. 52 at the same time northbound U.S. 19 drivers are turning right on red lights onto S.R. 52. Problems ensue when several drivers try to get into the right lane and turn into the shopping center there.
Carol Kinnard of New Port Richey said she was irritated by the plan to redesign U.S. 19 medians between Main Street and Bellview Avenue.
The changes will "place a tremendous burden" on drivers, Kinnard said. Changes to medians will prohibit left turns from side streets to head south on U.S. 19. The redesign will replace open medians with "channelized" turn lanes.
Drivers will be forced to turn right onto U.S. 19, go north into one of the channelized medians and then make a U-turn to head south onto U.S. 19.
Kinnard said she fears that winding, narrow River Road will become more congested as drivers seek shortcuts to get to U.S. 19.
"Please consider a light at the intersection of Palmetto and 19 or Avery and U.S. 19," Kinnard said in her written remarks.
Donald Bloedel of Hudson warned of similar problems if medians on U.S. 19 are redesigned. That would require drivers to make U-turns to get into the Briarwoods subdivision.
"For us it would be very cumbersome," he said.
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