Meeting Set To Discuss U.S. 301 Improvements Across County Line

TAMPA, FL — The Florida Department of Transportation has scheduled a public meeting to discuss plans to improve U.S. 301 between Fowler Avenue in Hillsborough County and State Road 56 in Pasco County.

The meeting will take place Thursday, March 24 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at FDOT District 7 headquarters, 11201 N. McKinley Road, Tampa.

The hearing will begin with an open house at 5:30 p.m. followed by a formal presentation and public comment at 6:30 p.m. The informal open house will resume at 7:30 p.m.

The public meeting is being held in person and virtually.

The FDOT is conducting a Project Development and Environment study to determine roadway improvements for the 13 miles of road between Fowler Avenue and SR 56.

The proposal involves widening U.S. 301 from the existing two-lane undivided roadway to a four-lane divided roadway with pedestrian and bicycle lanes.

The study also evaluated traffic operations, safety, access management and freight movements since U.S. 301 is a designated truck route and is widely used to move freight between the two counties.

At the same time, the road is regularly used by commuters and those living in the community. In the past few years, there have been a number of fatal traffic accidents on the two-lane road, including accidents involving pedestrians and bicyclists.

The road is projected to be used by 27,800 to 49,300 vehicles per day by 2040, making it a failing road.

There were 464 crashes reported on that section of U.S. 301 between 2015 through 2019 with 338 injuries and 16 fatalities including five pedestrians.

The project is intended to improve safety along this segment of U.S. 301 and continue to improve the ability to move freight between counties.

The no-build alternative where no improvements other than routine maintenance are made to U.S. 301 is being considered as well.

The PD&E study will determine the preliminary conceptual design for the proposed improvements while minimizing impacts to the environment.

A State Environmental Impact Report is also being prepared as the environmental document for this study.

The project originally began in 2015 but was put on hold due to lack of funding followed by the coronavirus pandemic. The planning study for the project, which is still unfunded, is scheduled to begin this summer. The project is expected to cost $199.5 million.

This public hearing is being to give the public a chance to speak up concerning the location, conceptual design, and social, economic, and environmental effects of the proposed improvements.

Virtual attendees must register online here.

Written statements or exhibits submitted at the hearing, emailed or mailed and postmarked by April 4 will become part of the official public hearing record.

Draft project documents are available for review through April 4 at the:

• Thonotosassa Branch Library, 10715 Main St., Thonotosassa, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
• Zephyrhills Public Library, 5347 8th St., Zephyrhills, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.on Fridays.
• FDOT District 7 headquarters, 11201 N. McKinley Drive, Tampa, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

FDOT is sending a notice to all property owners located within at least 300 feet on either side of the U.S. 301 project limits, as well as other interested parties.