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DOT Rejects Zephyrhills Plea To Keep Gall 2-Way

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By LAURA KINSLER | The Tampa Tribune

Published: March 3, 2009

ZEPHYRHILLS - The city appears to have lost its battle to keep two-way traffic on Gall Boulevard.

The Florida Department of Transportation is planning a $70 million widening project, starting in 2015, but the design would convert Gall, also known as U.S. 301, into a one-way street for northbound traffic. All southbound traffic would be diverted to Sixth Street, which already is one-way. Both streets eventually would be widened to three lanes.

The state agency has nixed various proposals from the city to maintain two-way traffic on the city's busiest boulevard, but engineers agreed to study a proposal to keep one lane of southbound traffic and two lanes of northbound traffic on Gall.

"We looked at the different alternatives and found that it won't work," spokeswoman Kristen Carson said.

The only way the concept would have worked is if DOT had been able to make the two-way road fit in the same right of way proposed for the one-way street. Carson said there simply wasn't enough space to maintain three traffic lanes and turn lanes at the major intersections.

City leaders have opposed the plan, saying it would devastate businesses on Gall.

"I know the majority of directors for the Chamber [of Commerce] are not in favor of U.S. 301 being one-way," said Manny Funes, the council's liaison to the chamber.

City Manager Steve Spina said the issue would be placed on the agenda for the city council's March 9 meeting. Carson said DOT engineers have offered to attend the meeting.

If council rejects the DOT design, it risks losing $31 million budgeted to buy right of way. The funding was authorized for the DOT plan, which was approved by the Federal Highway Administration. The proposed right of way acquisition, initially scheduled for 2013, has been pushed back a year.

The project is aimed at alleviating congestion between State Road 39 and North Avenue. Construction would cost an estimated $40 million.

Reporter Laura Kinsler can be reached at (813) 779-4617.

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