The tight, often congested roads in Historic Downtown Plant City are among the main reasons why the Hillsborough County Metropolitan Planning
Organization decided to undertake a long-term road project to create a four-lane loop around Plant City.
Last month, a flatbed semi-truck hauling rebar scraped against the rear of a car parallel-parked on Collins Street as it struggled to make a turn on the corner of Reynolds and Collins streets. Merchants in the downtown area say accidents occur frequently, because the official truck route directs trucks through downtown.
But the loop, when completed in 2014, will offer a new, spacier route.
“The big trucks will bypass downtown, which is something the merchants have been looking for for many years,” said Rick Lott, Plant City commissioner and MPO member.
The proposed loop connects Alexander and Park streets on the north side by Sam Allen Road. Earlier this month, the MPO secured government stimulus dollars to fund the widening of Sam Allen Road, the loop’s final, $40 million piece.
“We got lucky, because other projects around the state got pushed around, but we were ready to go with a plan already in place,” Lott said.
Alexander Street continues to be widened to four lanes past the Interstate 4 interchange. Alexander Street was widened to four lanes in two segments. The first segment began in 2005. The Alexander Street segments have cost $80 million so far.
The $10 million Park Road expansions began about seven years ago and now are complete. Park Road is the smallest segment of the road project, but it is located in the middle of the northeast portion of the city and one of the most strategic enhancements.
“We’re anticipating that part of the city to be built out,” Lott said. “We’re trying to fix a problem before it becomes a problem.”
All the money used for the project has been federal or state money.
“The challenge is not building but getting it funded and buying the right-of-ways,” Lott said.
Lott said there has been a push for this project for a long time. As a nine-year veteran of the MPO, Lott is currently the longest serving member. Known jokingly as the “historian,” Lott took the reins from former state Rep. Rich Glorioso. Before that, Randy Larson served on the organization.
A project such as this takes about 10 years from the planning stage to the finished project. Plant City worked with Florida Department of Transportation on the project.
“FDOT has been very, very good to work with,” Lott said. “We’ve built a strong relationship with FDOT.”
The MPO is a state-mandated organization for counties with more than 200,000 people. The Hillsborough County MPO involves Hillsborough County, the City of Tampa, the City of Plant City, the City of Temple Terrace, HART, the Aviation, Port and Expressway Authority, FDOT and the Hillsborough County-City County Planning Commission. Its members meet monthly to discuss transportation issues with roads, bridges, railroads and buses.
Roads have about a 25- to 35-year lifespan. In the past decade, the MPO has helped to refurbish Turkey Creek Road and resurface U.S. 92 with interchange enhancements, among other projects.
“The city has a large focus on taking care of the city’s roads,” Lott said. “When the roads aren’t taken care of, they affect the neighborhood. The citizens really appreciate it when the roads are well maintained.
“Our goal is to get ahead of the curve, so that we don’t allow them to deteriorate,” he said.