TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Stimulus Package Could Mean $20 Million For Pasco Projects

ADVERTISEMENT

By KEVIN WIATROWSKI | The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 10, 2009

DADE CITY - Pasco County could get $20 million for transportation projects from the federal today.
To take advantage of the stimulus money, the county officials must sendthe state Department of Transportation by the end of the week a list of what they plan to spend the federal money on. That list is due to the DOT's Tampa office Friday.
The county's transportation planning board, the Metropolitan Planning Organization, will settle on the final list of projects when it meets at 10 a.m. Thursday at the West Pasco Government Center, 7530 Little Road, in New Port Richey.
As commissioners discussed the list of potential projects, the U.S. Senate approved an $838 billion version of the stimulus package requested by President Barack Obama. The Senate plan must be reconciled with a larger plan approved by the House of Representatives before Obama can sign the plan into law.
Pasco has 14 "shovel-ready" road projects that meet the requirements of the stimulus plan, said Deborah Bolduc, who oversees road projects for the county. That list includes being able to start by July and being finished in three years.
The list of projects includes:
Widening U.S. 41 between Tower Road and Connerton Boulevard in central Pasco.
Installing traffic signals at a variety of intersections near schools, including Trinity Boulevard and Duck Slough in west Pasco and County Road 54 and Progress Parkway in Wesley Chapel.
Improving traffic flow on U.S. 19 by closing some medians and limiting access to others.

Reporter Kevin Wiatrowski can be reached at (813) 948-4201 or kwiatrowski@tampatrib.com.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT