TAMPA, Fla. — With not as many people on the roads amid the COVID-19 outbreak, Governor Ron DeSantis says FDOT will use this opportunity to speed up road projects.
Because Floridians are abiding by his ‘safer-at-home’ order, he says now is the time for construction crews to close more lanes to get projects done faster.
“Given that the traffic is down and everything, I’m going to be looking at accelerating some of these infrastructure projects,” DeSantis said. “When you’re doing those on busy roads, it causes a lot of problems. When those (roads) are no longer busy, and if that’s going to be the case for the next month, then we’re going to need to make use of that time.”
The two biggest projects in our area include work to the Howard Frankland Bridge and the extension of the Selmon Expressway.
The $864 million-dollar project in the works along the Howard Frankland Bridge could be completed a month ahead of schedule. It includes replacing northbound lanes and adding new ones southbound. Tolled, pedestrian and express lanes will also be included.
Along Gandy Boulevard in South Tampa, continued work to the Selmon Extension project will go as planned except crews will now working 12-hour shifts instead of eight to speed things up.
The big question now is what’s being done to keep construction workers safe while we’re in the middle of this pandemic?
In a statement, FDOT said, “The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is committed to protecting the health and safety of Florida’s traveling public, as well as that of the personnel who work on our road and bridge maintenance and construction projects. By its nature, road and bridge construction is often performed without close interaction between construction personnel. Placing asphalt, installing steel reinforcing, and using earth-moving equipment typically involve physical separation between crew members to ensure safety while using heavy equipment and machinery. In keeping with the Center for Disease Control and Florida Department of Health guidelines for controlling the transmission of COVID-19, FDOT is using virtual delivery for all pre-construction meetings, project update meetings, and partnering meetings. We are also monitoring construction projects and lane closures which might affect access to public health facilities.”
When it comes to public transit, with a lack of riders across our area, agencies are reducing service hours and routes to keep everyone safe.
While financially struggling, a boost is on the way, thanks to the CARES Act. In Tampa, the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit with get a little more than an estimated $36 million dollars from the stimulus plan.
In a statement, HART said, “HART is pleased to learn the CARES Act funding will be available for operating expenses such as fuel, personal protective equipment and disinfecting supplies to maintain essential services and ensure our workforce remains healthy and safe.
We thank the delegation for their support on this important legislation and will work with our fellow transit agencies in the Tampa Bay region to determine how the fund will be shared.”
In all, the governor is fast-tracking more than $2-billion-worth of road construction projects across the state.
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