U.S. 41, State Road 54 Public Hearing Set

Tampa Bay area residents who cross through the busy State Road 54 and U.S. 41 intersection in their daily commutes might want to put a date on their calendars.

The Florida Department of Transportation is hosting a public hearing on possible intersection improvements Thursday, Dec. 10. Set to take place from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Myrtle Lake Baptist Church, 2017 Riegler Road, the meeting will give residents a chance to voice their opinions on two possible plans. Both plans call for a complete reworking of the intersection with State Road 54 elevated over U.S. 41, DOT announced in a media release.

The two flyover options involve potential business relocations. One plan could impact as many as 23 businesses, a few homes and the Pasco County fire station near the intersection, the Tampa Bay Times reported. The other would impact only six businesses.

At present, FDOT is only studying the two alternatives and a no-build option. No money has been set aside for right of way acquisition or construction over the next five years, the Times noted.

The Dec. 10 meeting will begin with an open house at 5:30 p.m. A formal presentation is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.

The state plans to have a court reporter present to receive comments from attendees.

Written statements may be submitted to Kirk Bogen, environmental management engineer, FDOT, District 7, by mailing them to 11201 N. McKinley Drive MS 7-500, Tampa, FL 33612-6456. Electronic submissions can be submitted at http://active.fdotd7studies.com/sr54/us41-at-sr54/. All submissions must be received by Dec. 21.

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