By Matt Wiley
If you’ve been out driving on I-75 through the New Tampa and Wesley Chapel area, you’ve probably noticed some rough, uneven patches of roadway and a bunch of orange construction signs still standing. That’s because the widening project between E. Fowler Ave. in Temple Terrace to S.R. 56 still is not complete, although the project is still several months ahead of schedule.
According to the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), the completion of the 11.4-mile, $96.6-million project to widen I-75 from four to six/eight lanes has once again been delayed due to inclement weather. While much of the project is finished, there still are areas in which the final layer (or “friction course”) of asphalt has not been paved.
The last we checked in June, an FDOT spokesperson told us that the project “could be wrapped up” around September, but that’s not the case. However, FDOT spokesperson John McShaffrey says that the project should be finishing up closer to its originally planned completion time, which is the spring of 2016.
“As of our last project report in mid-July, the project was 142 days ahead of contract time,” McShaffrey explains, adding that the recent heavy rains and minimal paving resources from Prince Contracting have led to the latest delays. He says that the last report estimated that the project had contract days through April 2016, but vary depending upon delays. McShaffrey adds that Prince is working with one paving crew and that if another is added, the completion date could be moved up.
McShaffrey says that the majority of work remaining on the job is asphalt placement, mostly the paving of the top layer of asphalt, as well as some on the layer below (the “structural course”).
“There are substantial areas of friction course paving remaining on the mainline of I-75,” McShaffrey says, adding that paving also is necessary at the interchange ramps at E. Fletcher Ave., and Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. and on those roads themselves. “After all of the friction course is placed, final pavement markings will need to be installed.”
He adds that there also are some miscellaneous items to complete, including sodding, guardrail installation, installation of traffic counter loops (which count and detect traffic at intersections), cleaning drainage structures and other “punch list” items.
McShaffrey says Prince is working south to north on paving the crossroads under I-75, including at the BBD exit. Crews recently finished paving under the Fowler Ave. interchange and will tackle the section of Fletcher Ave. under the interstate next, before wrapping up the one-mile section of BBD, from Palm Springs Blvd. to Doña Michelle Dr.
“Given current progress and weather conditions, it is likely work on (BBD) will finish towards the end of the project,” McShaffrey says. “The contractor also is planning to do BBD last because it will be paved with an asphalt mix that can be applied at lower temperatures than the mixes being used on the other roadways.”
All the work that remains for BBD under I-75 is final paving and pavement markings, he says.
Although the widening of Segment B-C of BBD, which stretched from Pebble Creek Dr. to Palm Springs Blvd. in Tampa Palms, was “completed” in 2013, the widened section under I-75 wasn’t completely open until March of 2014 and it looks like it could be early 2016 before it’s officially “done.”
For more information, please visit MyTBI.com.
Speaking Of BBD
While the final work remains under I-75, construction on “Segment A” of BBD, between Palm Springs Blvd. and E. Bearss Ave. through Tampa Palms continues to push forward.
“(BBD) Segment A is progressing in accordance with the schedule and plan,” says Hillsborough County spokesperson Andrea Roshaven. Currently, the latest 3.5-mile, $36-million section of BBD widening that began in late January is scheduled to be completed by the spring of 2017.
The county’s contract with Prince Contracting allows for 815 days (about 15 months) to widen this entire stretch of New Tampa’s primary north-south thoroughfare from four and six lanes to an eight-lane divided roadway.
Roshaven says that the current focus is on widening the southbound lanes of BBD, including all of the drainage and bridge construction across Cypress Creek.
“For the next few months, travelers should expect to see much of the same construction operations as they see right now, with more of the storm drain culverts being installed and the beginning of the road construction on the southbound lanes,” Roshaven explains. “As always, there will be temporary traffic shifts and lane closures during the daytime hours to accomplish the road construction operations.”
Construction also is gearing up to get started in a few months on “Segment D” of BBD, which stretches 1.5 miles north from Pebble Creek Dr. to the Pasco County line. That project also will widen BBD to eight lanes and complete the widening through New Tampa. Roshaven says that the right-of-way acquisition process already has been completed and the project likely will be put out to bid in the next coming weeks. Construction is scheduled to being in Feb. 2016 with an completion scheduled for Oct. 2017.
“We anticipate that there will be a public meeting just as we did for the other segments of BBD, but that has not yet been scheduled,” Roshaven says.
For more info, please visit HillsboroughCounty.org.
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