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Lithia-Pinecrest Study Is Topic Of Meeting

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By TOM BRENNAN, The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 1, 2007

LITHIA - Motorists will get a glimpse at their future commutes when county engineers and consultants reveal the results of the latest traffic study on Lithia-Pinecrest Road.

The study is the opening salvo in a $2.5 million preliminary development study of ways to improve Lithia-Pinecrest from State Road 60 to County Road 39.

"We will discuss traffic counts and traffic volumes and the different alternatives to deal with those figures," said Reg Alford, the county's project manager.

The meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Palmetto Club at FishHawk Ranch, 17004 Dorman Road.
County commissioners approved funding for the study in 2005.

Alford said the process is moving slowly because the county is abiding by federal standards so improvements could be eligible for federal funding.

"We are going to submit this both to the state and federal authorities," he said.

The county has hired consultant HDR to conduct the traffic study. Alford said engineers will consider everything from leaving Lithia-Pinecrest as a two-lane rural road to making it six lanes - and every alternative in between.

"We don't know what that conclusion is right now," he said.

Alford said the study should be completed by 2009. He said the next step will be considering environmental effects of proposed road improvements.

A draft of the study should be completed by late next year, Alford said. He said there will be additional public meetings as the study progresses.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Meeting on a traffic study of Lithia-Pinecrest Road

WHEN: 6:30 p.m. Tuesday

WHERE: The Palmetto Club at FishHawk Ranch, 17004 Dorman Road

INFORMATION: Call (813) 272-5275

Reporter Tom Brennan can be reached at (813) 657-4528 or tbrennan@tampatrib.com.

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