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I-75 Bridge Work Begins; Nightly Detours Likely

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By KEVIN WIATROWSKI

kwiatrowski@tampatrib.com

Published: February 7, 2009

WESLEY CHAPEL - One of the busiest interchanges in Pasco County is about to get a major facelift.

The state Department of Transportation started work this week on its 18-month project to replace the aging bridges that carry Interstate 75 over County Road 54 in the heart of Wesley Chapel. Drivers won't notice an impact until next week, when resurfacing begins on I-75, between State Road 54 and State Road 56.

The $32 million project will remove the existing bridges, which rest on concrete pilings that create a traffic bottleneck beneath them.

The cost of the project has dropped $11 million from the original 2006 estimate, largely because of the economic decline, which has increased competition among contractors.

County officials will contribute $3.9 million from Penny for Pasco to the project. The DOT earlier promised to reimburse the county for its contribution, but the exact amount won't be known until the project is finished, said Michael Nurrenbrock, the county's chief financial officer.

The new steel bridges will be wider and span the interchange without the aid of pilings, allowing the county to add new lanes beneath them, according to DOT plans.

The bridge replacement follows the county's 18-month widening of C.R. 54 from Magnolia Boulevard to Oakley Boulevard. That project ended last year.

The early stages of the bridge replacement should cause few disruptions for local drivers, DOT officials said.

"Impact to motorists on County Road 54 will be minimal as the project begins but will ultimately include night lane closures and detours for overhead bridge work," said John McShaffrey, a spokesman for the DOT's Tampa office.

Drivers on the interstate will also see most of their replacement-related delays at night, McShaffrey said.

As the project evolves, crews will close C.R. 54 temporarily to remove chunks of the existing bridge and move new pieces into place. When those closures happen, interstate traffic will be routed across C.R. 54 using the interchange's off- and on-ramps, according to the DOT's plans.

More than 60,000 vehicles pass over the bridges every day on I-75. That's as much as a 50 percent increase compared with a decade ago, according to DOT estimates.

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

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