Contractor Pulls Out Of 54 Widening Project

One month after being kicked off the Diverging Diamond Interchange project at S.R. 56 and I-75, D.A.B. Constructors has informed the Florida Department of Transportation it is voluntarily defaulting on the S.R. 54 widening project as well.

On July 28, “FDOT received letters from DAB informing us that they are financially unable to perform or complete the performance of the work as prime contractor, which constitutes a voluntary default…,” FDOT spokesperson Kris Carson wrote in an email.

But it isn’t just the S.R. 54 widening project, which was supposed to be completed by the end of the year, that D.A.B. Constructors is walking away from. There are five other projects in Pasco, Hernando and Citrus counties:

  • C.R. 580 Sam Allen Rd. from S.R. 39 to Park Rd.
  • US 19 Widening from Green Acres to W. Jump Ct
  • US 19 Widening from W. Jump Court to W. Fort Island Trail
  • US 19 Resurfacing from Hernando County Line to Green Acres
  • SR 52 Widening from Suncoast Parkway to US 41

“FDOT will be working with the Surety Companies to take over and complete the projects,” Carson says.

D.A.B. Contractors issued a statement, signed by president Doborah Bachschmidt and executive vice president Bill Bachschmidt, earlier this week, published in the Citrus County Chronicle, saying that “After over 33 years as a small heavy civil construction firm based in Inglis, Florida, D.A.B. is winding down all operations and putting the completion of ongoing projects in the hands of our bonding companies.”

D.A.B. essentially says the DDI project led to it pulling out of its other projects due to financial strain.

FDOT’s actions in regards to D.A.B. being behind schedule on the DDI which was made public last fall, were a “deathblow” to the company. D.A.B. says it accelerated construction without payment from FDOT to meet milestone dates.

“When D.A.B. achieved the milestones to the extent feasible under the FDOT-furnished defective plans”, the company wrote, “FDOT moved the goalposts. We suffered a classic domino-effect, as our acceleration efforts had diverted resources from other ongoing projects and drained the company of millions of dollars such that operations cannot be sustained.”

It wrote it has been in a 15-month tug-of-war with FDOT due to errors in the design.

“Despite the existence of a significant errors in the project design provided by FDOT and the recommendation of an independent Disputes Review Board that upheld D.A.B.’s contentions regarding the existence of the design errors and the resulting impact to the project schedule and costs to complete, FDOT has declared D.A.B. in default.”

Last month, in a letter dated June 25, D.A.B. Constructors told FDOT they were “demobilizing” from the DDI project, two days before it was defaulted on the project by FDOT.

D.A.B., which says it is the only remaining woman-owned prime contractor in the state, says it cannot continue to self-finance FDOT projects while it waits on the outcome of court action.

Carson says D.A.B. Constructors filed a lawsuit against FDOT on July 1.

“We very much regret the inevitable inconveniences to the traveling public as D.A.B.’s ongoing jobs are transitioned to others for completion,” the Bachschmidts wrote.” We are working cooperatively with our sureties to expedite take over and completion work. Likewise, despite what we’ve encountered with FDOT, we intend to continue to cooperate with the department.”

That is disappointing news for Wesley Chapel residents, who just a few months ago were expecting the DDI and 54 widening to be completed before 2022. That now appears unlikely.

The 54 widening is a $42.5-million project to transform S.R. 54 from two to four lanes east of Curley Rd to east of Morris Bridge Rd., a 4.5-mile stretch. A sidewalk will be built on the north side of the road and a 10-foot wide multi-use trail will be built on the south side.

Diverging Diamond Looking For New Contractor

FDOT photo taken June 15, 2021.

Unable to meet the milestones set forth by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), D.A.B. Constructors has been defaulted and removed from the diverging diamond intersection (DDI) at S.R. 56 and I-75.

One of the milestones needed to be met by June 28, and was not. In addition, on June 25, “DAB notified FDOT they were demobilizing from the project,” according to FDOT spokesperson Kristen Carson.

Carson said FDOT will work with the surety company, which is required to provide a replacement contractor, to complete the project. 

A message left with DAB vice-president Bill Bachschmidt was not returned.

The DDI construction has been ongoing since early 2019, and had an original schedule of 800 days, resulting in a finish date of April 2021. That did account for delays due to rain and holidays, but Covid-19 made a major impact when it caused delays and shortages of materials for the project.

But last fall, Pasco County and FDOT addressed issues with DAB, when county commissioner Mike Moore, who represents District 2 where the diverging diamond is located, delivered a harsh attack on what he saw as lackluster progress.

Moore criticized the lack of urgency and number of workers he noticed when driving through the construction site, and the Cypress Creek Town Center Property Owners Association (POA) — which includes the Tampa Premium Outlets, Costco and more than 20 other businesses located west of the interchange — made their concerns known as well.

David Gwynn, the FDOT secretary for District 7, imposed penalties on D.A.B. Constructors and threatened more if the deadlines could not be met. 

According to Carson, in November 2020, FDOT issued a Notice of Intent to Default (NOI) to the contractor due to concerns they were not proceeding at the pace required to meet the contractual completion date.

“DAB Constructors’ response included a recovery schedule showing a project completion date of October 2021,” Carson said. “From this schedule, (FDOT) established interim milestone dates that the contractor would need to meet in order to avoid being defaulted.”

Moore said after the public admonishment, he had seen some improvements early in 2021, but once again was noticing a lack of workers at the DDI site. The news this week was not shocking, and the project will likely not be completed until 2022, and by another company.

“I’m not surprised, I’m disappointed,” Moore says, “because they stated on multiple occasions they would be able to meet the deadlines.”

More than 100,000 vehicles pass through the interchange on a daily basis. The long-awaited DDI is designed to create fewer conflict points at the interchange, and despite looking more confusing, similar interchanges (like Florida’s first DDI at Exit 210 off I-75 in Sarasota) has been lauded for being safer and more efficient than your traditional junctions. 

Carson says FDOT is empathetic to impacts any project delays may cause to motorists, residents, and businesses, and will make adjustments to traffic signals and any other traffic control devices to accommodate extra traffic volume during the upcoming holiday season.

Northbound I-275 / I-75 exit to SR 56 to be closed at night

Wesley Chapel, FL — The northbound I-275 (Exit 59) and northbound I-75 (Exit 275) exit ramps to State Road 56 may be closed from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. Sunday through Friday (May 16 – 21) nights as work on the diverging diamond interchange (DDI) continues. Traffic will be detoured to I-75 Exit 279 as described below.

Detour to SR 56, east of I-75: Continue north past SR 56 and use I-75 Exit 279 to SR 54/CR 54. At the bottom of the ramp, turn right and go east on SR 54. Turn right onto SR 581 (Bruce B. Downs Boulevard) and go south to SR 56.

Detour to SR 54/SR 56, west of I-75: Continue north past SR 56 and use I-75 Exit 279 to SR 54/CR 54. At the bottom of the ramp, turn left and go southwest on Wesley Chapel Boulevard/CR 54 to SR 56 and SR 54. — FDOT

FDOT Making Tweaks To Help Ease Logjam at I-75/56

The work around the junction of S.R. 56 and I-75 is beginning to show some progress, as efforts pick up to finish the Diverging Diamond Interchange by the end of 2021.(Photo: FDOT).

If you’ve been by the construction site of the Diverging Diamond Interchange (DDI) at the junction of I-75 and S.R. 56, you may have noticed a difference from past trips.

More machines. More workers. More dirt being moved.

Just over a month after Pasco County commissioners, particularly District 2 Commissioner Mike Moore (whose district includes much of Wesley Chapel), criticized the efforts of D.A.B. Constructors, Inc. — and expressed disappointment that the project would not finish on time — the work has clearly picked up in the area.

“There has been significant improvement,” Moore says. “I want to thank D.A.B. and the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) for getting this back on schedule.”

Moore said he met with both D.A.B. and FDOT, and as a result, he is feeling more confident that the project will finish closer to its original finishing date of sometime in the fall of 2021, as opposed to fears construction would stretch well into 2022.

“I feel good about what I heard,” Moore said.

The $33-million project also had drawn the ire of more than 20 local businesses, who signed a letter to Moore and District 3 Commissioner Kathryn Starkey expressing concern about the progress.

Community outreach manager John McShaffrey says FDOT has continued to look for opportunities to move the project forward, “including working with the contractor on alternate materials, construction phasing, and other ways to shorten the construction duration.”

With traffic thicker than usual due to the holidays, there aren’t too many things FDOT can do to ease congestion right now, although it is suggesting alternate routes to get in and out of the Tampa Premium Outlets and Cypress Creek Town Center areas. FDOT also has made efforts to assist in traffic flow since before Thanksgiving by:

 * Adding message boards on S.R. 56 westbound advising drivers to use the next two signals (the entrance off S.R. 56 and the entrance off the Wesley Chapel Blvd. extension) to enter the outlet mall.

* Adding message boards on S.R. 54 eastbound advising that drivers can turn right where Wesley Chapel Blvd. meets S.R. 56 to enter the outlet mall.

* Setting traffic signals to “holiday timing” (a common practice near mall areas) to maximize traffic flow.

* Adding message boards on southbound I-75, north of the S.R. 54 Exit 279, to encourage traffic to use the S.R. 54 exit to avoid backups on the Exit 275 ramp to S.R. 56.

* Adjusting the setup of the barrier wall on the southbound I-75 exit ramp to give a little more space for drivers turning right (westbound) onto SR 56.

* Installing additional cameras for FDOT’s traffic management staff to better monitor traffic at all of the signalized intersections.

FDOT To Study S.R. 54 Intersection at BBD

This break in the median on BBD between Sonny’s BBQ near the Hollybrook Plaza (not shown) & Twistee Treat in front of the Village Market will be eliminated under FDOT’s safety plan. (Photo: John C. Cotey)

For anyone who has ever tried to cross through the median on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. from either of the side exits that lead out between the Sonny’s BBQ and SunTrust Bank adjacent to the Publix-anchored Hollybrook Plaza or just north of the Twistee Treat  near the Wesley Chapel Village Market onto BBD, it is often a harrowing experience and not an uncommon site to see an accident in that area.

The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is currently working on what will be a safer solution.

Currently in the design phase (cost: $500,000), plans include eliminating the median opening, installing a traffic signal at Eagleston Blvd. (just south of the Village Market) as well as a southbound U-turn lane at Eagleston, improving pedestrian options and adding an additional left turn lane to the northbound side of the BBD and S.R. 54 intersection.

The improvements are expected to ease the traffic dangers in that area and improve the flow during busy hours. The intersection has long been a hot topic for local residents. In a Neighborhood News Reader Survey in 2017, the intersection was chosen as the second-worst in Wesley Chapel, behind the I-75 and S.R. 56 intersection, which currently is under construction for a new Diverging Diamond Interchange .

The recent efforts by FDOT means that both intersections named as the worst in our survey will be improved within two years, although construction work at BBD and S.R. 54 isn’t expected to begin until the fall of 2021.

“This project was initiated after a safety study was performed recommending the closure of the first median opening south of S.R. 54/C.R. 54, and adding more capacity for the northbound left turn movement,” FDOT’s David Botello wrote in an email. “The new signal at Eagleston Blvd. was included to accommodate traffic being redirected by the median closure, and for future development along Eagleston Blvd.”

Because the split median will now be one long median from Eagleston all the way to S.R. 54, the northbound far left turn lane — which, when filled, would block those trying to cross over BBD — can be extended to accommodate more vehicles, helping reduce congestion.

For those needing to head south on BBD from the Hollybrook Plaza, there will no longer be a shortcut through the current median between Sonny’s and SunTrust.

As for those driving north on BBD who typically enter the Village Market through the break in the current median, they will now be better served turning left at the new light on Eagleston Blvd. and entering the Village Market from its southernmost portion.

“They will be provided a safer route by turning left at the signalized Eagleston intersection, and then turning right into the plaza,” Botello says.

If leaving the Village Market but needing to head north on BBD, drivers will be accommodated by the U-turn lane at Eagleston Blvd. (if they choose not to use either of the two exits that lead out to S.R. 54). 

Construction of the planned BBD/54 improvements is expected to be completed in 2022.