A Bay area beltway?

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Click here for an enlarged map.

Does the Bay area need a beltway?

Earlier this month, the Hillsborough County Commission voted 6-1 to support a study proposed by the Tampa-Hillsborough County Expressway Authority that could result in a potential beltway system linking Manatee County to eastern Hillsborough County to Pasco and even northern Pinellas County.

That vote gives the okay for engineers to study potential routes, the effect on existing highways, land usage, etc.

This proposal is still in its draft stages, and the Expressway Authority cautions that we should not jump to any conclusions yet regarding routing; the study would simply determine where the needs are and how to best address them.

The proposal, as it now stands, could look something like the rudimentary map design I have created. (Yes, I know it is cheesy but I wanted to give you a mental image.) A potential four-lane toll road, which could begin at Port Manatee, would run east past I-75, then northward through rural Hillsborough County and intersect with I-4. From there, it is proposed that the road could continue northeast over the Pasco County line, then west past I-75 and perhaps all the way to New Port Richey. Another leg could extend from Pasco County into northern Pinellas County all the way to perhaps Tarpon Springs.

The 6-1 vote was an effort to support the study, not the plan, and look ahead to determine where opportunities to relieve future traffic along I-4, 275, the Crosstown, S.R. 60, 301 and 41, just to mention a few of those roads some would argue are already and will become more overpopulated.

It is probably a good idea to conduct this study. Finally, it seems our area planners are looking ahead to tackle problems that may arise from potential population and job growth. Plus, if the study indicates we will need this 20 years from now anyway, why not get a jump on the project before the rising cost of land and construction makes this project more of a burden on taxpayers?

No price has yet been attached to the project, yet the potential 120-mile-long project could cost in excess of $2 billion based on today's construction costs.

Let's face it; we waited 20 years too late to rebuild the junction ofI-4 and 275 through Tampa. The Suncoast Parkway is a good example of good planning. What was once a lightly traveled roadway just a few years ago is now a gateway between the north and the south. The Tampa Airport Interchanges project now underway will do wonders to relieve congestion on the south end of the Veterans Expressway, yet I contend it should have been built 10 or even 15 years ago.

So, is the Expressway Authority doing its best to plan for our future or is this just another bad dream for those who currently enjoy the serenity and rural nature of eastern Hillsborough County?

Will this promote urban sprawl?

Could this proposal potentially lead to some losing their land or homes?

If this study determines this roadway is essential in years to come, shouldn't we build it while land costs and construction costs are in today's dollars?

Or, do we wait for the need to first arise then suffer for 10 years while the project is being completed?

Would this plan potentially increase home and/or land prices along and adjacent to the forthcoming route?

Should this study focus on the need for a mass transit service instead?

Do we need another toll road?

If other sprawling metropolitan areas have a successful mass transit system, why don't we?

I personally support this study. I am pleased that the Expressway Authority is looking ahead and proposing this study, not to rush into building a new toll road, but to examine where our needs will be in the next few decades. That is their job, so be careful when you knock them about it.

I am also pleased that the Hillsborough County Commission voted to support the study and also look ahead in regard to our region's needs.

The next stop for the Expressway Authority is to take their idea to other municipal bodies in Manatee, Pinellas and Pasco counties. I hope those counties also get behind the study. Eventually, we may need such a far -reaching plan anyway and the sooner we get started, the cheaper it will be and the more mobility we will have between regions.

What do you think?

Regards, Russ Handler

If you have an issue you would like to have addressed, feel free to e-mail Russ.

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