Traffic on Big Bend, S.R. 674 to get relief
PUBLISHED JULY 14, 2016
By PENNY FLETCHER
PENNY FLETCHER PHOTOS
Looking east across U.S. 41 from Apollo Beach Boulevard, work on the railroad tracks is being done by CSX. Eventually this will be the outlet for a four-lane road that will connect with U.S. 301 with access to the communities of Waterset and Belmont.
Relief has been a long time coming and the target date for completion is not set in stone.
Still, the plan for an east-west road through the Waterset Development in Apollo Beach that would “hook up with” the county’s plans to build a raised road that drops into the Belmont subdivision will greatly alleviate traffic in one of the worst bumper-to-bumper areas in South County.
The line to get on I-75 off Big Bend Road in Riverview between 6 and 9 a.m. sometimes can go all the way down Big Bend and still back up on U.S. 301. Usually though, it is only about 30 to 50 cars long.
Some say it takes as long to get to the interstate as it does to get to their Tampa offices once they get on I-75.
So what does all this Big Bend and U.S. 301 traffic have to do with the huge amount of work now taking place at the intersection of U.S. 41 and Apollo Beach Boulevard?
“I am told the construction on the east and west sides of U.S. 41 at Apollo Beach Boulevard is a developer project for the Apollo Beach Boulevard extension for Waterset,” said Andrea Roshaven, senior public relations strategist for Hillsborough County. “The work you see by the CVS and gas station is to redo the western leg to provide for a through lane to get into Waterset from the existing Apollo Beach Boulevard. Today there are two lefts and a right coming out of Apollo Beach Boulevard. When completed, there will be two lefts, a through lane, and a right-turn lane. But it’s definitely not a county project.”
Told the same thing by Florida Department of Transportation’s main spokeswoman, Kris Carson, I contacted the only other people who could possibly have a hand in it: CSX Railroad and Newland Communities, owner of the Waterset community on Big Bend Road.
Fortunately, Alex McLeod, Newland Communities (developer of Waterset) senior vice president, flew into Tampa July 8 and was able to give a full overview of the project.
At a cost to Newland of approximately $12 million just to connect to the Belmont “flyover” (an overpass alleviating traffic on the east side of Waterset), McLeod does not yet have final dates or figures.
“We’re at the mercy of CSX right now,” said McLeod. “When they finish the work they have to do there [at U.S. 41 and the Boulevard], costs may be different than they are today, and we can’t ‘guesstimate’ a time frame either because that is up to how fast CSX finishes.”
McLeod said he was extremely excited about the road improvements; the intersection improvements at Apollo Beach Boulevard and other things in the works to help traffic and also beautify the U.S. 41 entrance to things planned for Waterset.
“This road won’t just connect to Waterset, but to a mixed-use town center,” McLeod said. “There will be specialty shops — no big box stores — in line with the way Apollo Beach chooses its look. These should be just north of the Boulevard and east of U.S. 41. We hope that north-east corner is a gathering place. Something that gives a sense of place, to meet. We plan a park, restaurants, a wine bar and so many other things.”
While the west side (by the gas station and CVS) now has some people worried because of the “straight lane through the center of the road,” McLeod said they have already figured out the traffic pattern.
“There will be more turn lanes and all new traffic signals to make it completely safe,” McLeod said. Newland is also paying for the traffic signals.
Besides improving the intersection, they hope CSX finishes in time for Newland to cross at least 400 feet into their new road by the end of this summer.
“We won’t be waiting for houses to come down that way. As soon as we can, we plan a four-lane road with a beautiful median to alleviate east-west traffic; not just from Waterset.”
This project is supposed to tie in to the county’s raised ramp in late 2016/2017 and drop into the Belmont development, helping move cars on and from U.S. 301.
“It’s a win-win situation for the whole area,” McLeod said.