Traffic relief?

Wednesday, November 2, 2005

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The state plans to build an overpass at this intersection, Fourth Street and Gandy Boulevard in St. Petersburg.

The state has rolled out a new program pumping more than $260 million into transportation projects in the Bay area.

The money is part of more than $3 billion in transportation improvements that Florida Gov. Jeb Bush announced Wednesday.

The Department of Transportation plans 19 projects in the Bay area during the next five years, including an overpass at the intersection of Fourth and Gandy in Pinellas County to allow motorists to fly over the intersection on their way to I-275.

More information
	Click here for details of Gov. Bush's announcement.

State Sen. Jim Sebesta (R-St. Petersburg), who chairs the state's transportation committee, says the money for the projects is coming from the state's booming economy.

"For 15 straight months Florida has created more jobs than any other state in the nation," Sebesta said. "Our economic development is just exploding in Florida. We're doing very, very well. What that does is reflect itself in additional sales tax collections."

About 1,000 people move to Florida every day, and Sebesta said the Bay area is far behind its needs in transportation.