Follow the Roads

Follow the Roads

TRANSPORTATION by Janet Leiser | Senior Writer

To locate hot growth spots for commercial real estate on the Gulf Coast, a longtime rule of thumb is to look new roads being built: People and development will follow.

From Naples to Citrus County, the Review provides excerpts of the Florida Department of Transportation's new work plan, which is expected to gain legislative approval.

Billions of dollars are being spent on roads - from road widening to new construction - in Florida over the next five years.

Nearly $800 million is slated to be spent improving Interstate 75 in fast-growing Lee and Collier counties. A 35-mile stretch of the north-south highway is being widened to three lanes each way and interchanges are being changed and added.

The following list isn't all-inclusive. There are certainly other new roads being built or extended by local government. Following are the state projects valued at $5 million or more.

Charlotte County

Interstate 75

The major north-south corridor that runs through Charlotte is up for renovations. The state has earmarked $18.7 million for the preliminary engineering work required to determine future capacity of this highway between Lee County and Sarasota County.

Piper Road Corridor

To improve access to Piper Road, $11.3 million is budgeted over the next five years, with the majority of the construction to be performed this year and next.

Citrus County

Suncoast Parkway

One of the biggest road projects on Florida's west coast is the continued construction of the Suncoast Parkway, a toll highway that connects Tampa with its neighboring counties as far north as Citrus County. Over the past few years, the road has opened up Pasco, Hernando and Citrus counties to those who work in Tampa.

State officials plan to spend an additional $165 million over the next four years to extend the road 26 miles in Citrus.

More development is sure to follow.

Collier County

Interstate 75

This highway is receiving lots of attention over the next several years. Officials plan to spend $78.5 million on improvements, including the Golden Gate Parkway interchange and the resurfacing of Alligator Alley all the way to Broward County.

State Road 84

The state is acquiring property, at an estimated cost of $20 million, to extend this road from Santa Barbara Boulevard to Radio Road. The land will be bought in 2010-2011. And the state's five-year plan includes another $3 million for preliminary engineering on building from Airport Pulling Road to Santa Barbara Boulevard.

U.S. 41

This road, better known as Tamiami Trail, is being resurfaced, bridges are being replaced and engineering studies are planned to determine future expansion of the road. Cost: $31 million.

Hillsborough County

Lee Roy Selmon Crosstown

Work continues on the reversible commuter lanes of the Lee Roy Selmon Crosstown that connects Interstate 75 with Tampa. The project, which is now expected to cost about $485 million because of construction problems, should open in August.

County Road 39

More than $19 million is being spent this year to buy right-of-way to extend County Road 39, also known as Alexander Street, another 3 miles from north of Interstate 4 to north of Knights Griffin.

Lee County

Alico Road

Alico Road is being realigned from U.S. 41 to Sandy Lane at an estimated cost of $26 million. It will cross the Metro Extension, a road not yet in the five-year plan because of a lack of funding.

Interstate 75

Nearly two-thirds of a billion dollars in improvements is planned for Interstate 75. That includes interchanges and the addition of lanes along 35 miles of the highway, from Golden Gate in Collier to State Road 80.

U.S. 41

Lanes will be added to this north-south road from Corkscrew Road to San Carlos Boulevard beginning in 2010. Cost: $32.3 million. "We're working hard to get that done sooner, but the state just doesn't have the money," says Tina Matte, coordinator of the Southwest Florida Transportation Initiative.

Veterans Memorial Parkway

About $1.4 million is allocated for the administrative costs in the construction of the Veterans Memorial Parkway between Pine Island Road and west of the Midpoint Bridge.

Manatee County

Upper Manatee River Road

Transportation officials plan to extend Upper Manatee River Road from State Road 64 to U.S. 301. About $10.5 million is budgeted to buy right-of-way in 2010/2011.

State Road 64

About $50 million will be spent to reconstruct and add lanes to State Road 64 over the next four years, beginning east of Interstate 75 and continuing west to the Anna Maria Bridge.

State Road 70

Another heavily traveled east-west road, State Road 70, will be reconstructed between Lakewood Ranch Boulevard and Lorraine Road at an estimated cost of $10.5 million. The project should be completed in 2008 or 2009.

State Road 789

About $6 million will be spent to resurface this state highway, also known as Gulf of Mexico Drive, between Sarasota and the Longboat Pass Bridge.

Pasco County

State Road 56

Growth continues in once-sleepy Pasco County as more people move from the higher-priced counties of Hillsborough and Pinellas to the south.

State Road 56 is being extended 3.21 miles from County Road 581 to Morris Bridge Road. The state will spend about $3.7 million on that project in 2006. Work also continues on the 3-mile extension of S.R. 56 from Cypress Creek to C.R. 581.

Pinellas County

State Road 686

State transportation officials plan to spend nearly $110 million through 2010 on improvements to State Road 586, also known as Roosevelt Boulevard. The east-west corridor connects Interstate 275 with the beaches of Florida's most densely populated county.

More than $4 million will be spent this year to continue engineering work and buy right-of-way for the 8-mile extension of S.R. 686 from west of Interstate 275 to west of 9th Street. Only $200,000 is budgeted for 2007.

Another $3.2 million is budgeted for 2009 to improve S.R. 686 at 49th Street in Largo.

Sarasota County

Interstate 75

Transportation officials plan to spend nearly $94 million for the reconstruction of Interstate 75, north of North River Road to north of State Road 681. About $6.8 million is earmarked to purchase right-of-way in 2006-2007, while construction is planned for 2009-2010.

Another $19 million will be spent in 2009-2010 for preliminary engineering to determine future capacity on I-75.

Englewood Interstate

connector

Nearly $7 million is being spent over the next two years on preliminary engineering work for the construction of an Englewood interstate connector, from I-75 to Center Road and from Winchester Boulevard to U.S. 41. The state DOT budget, however, doesn't have any money earmarked for construction through 2010-2011.

State Road 72

State Road 72, also called Clark Road, will be resurfaced for $15.4 million from U.S. 41 to Fox Trotting Road. Construction will begin in 2008.

State Road 780

This road, from School Avenue to east of Coburn Road, will be resurfaced in 2007-2008 at a cost of about $11.3 million. An additional $2.4 million will pay to resurface other areas, from U.S. 301 to School Avenue, and from McIntosh Road to east of I-75.