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Gulf Boulevard construction under way; plans discussed
By BOB MACPHERSON
| Article published on Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2007 |
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![[Image]](/content_images/120507_bhb-01.jpg) |
| Photo by TOM GERMOND |
| Pinellas County Utilities Engineering Director Michael Sweet discusses the Gulf Boulevard improvement project with local residents at a Nov. 29 meeting. |
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INDIAN SHORES – Citizens raised several questions at a packed Town Hall meeting on how the Gulf Boulevard construction project will affect them individually.
A Nov. 29 special citizens’ workshop was sponsored by Pinellas County and the Town of Indian Shores. The project will improve a 3-mile segment of the boulevard from Walsingham Road to Park Boulevard within Indian Shores and Indian Rocks Beach.
Construction, which began Nov. 15, is scheduled to be completed by August 2009. Trish Muscarella, public information subcontractor with Post, Buckley, Schuh & Jernigan, said the project will cost $25 million, which includes about $16 million for roadwork and $8 million for the reclaimed water lines.
The project will move from south to north in 12 segments. Each segment was shown on poster boards so that citizens could identify their home or business and see when the project is expected to reach their neighborhood. Additionally, the county will formally notify residents by mail and Web site postings. A hotline has been set up to handle resident inquiries: 464-4273.
In addition to a resurfaced two-lane motor vehicle artery, the project will provide 5-foot bike and pedestrian walking lanes, a 16-inch reclaimed water transmission main and distribution lines as well as potable water line improvements and sanitary sewer upgrades.
Pinellas County Utilities and the Florida Department of Transportation are the major players in the project. The firm of Post, Buckley, Schuh & Jernigan is the project contractor.
Pinellas County Utilities Engineering Director Michael Sweet said the reclaimed water project could have been completed a few years ago but the county held off so its work could go hand in hand with FDOT road repairs. Delays caused project costs to escalate to the point that about $15 million more is needed to carry out the original project.
FDOT plans did not incorporate road design components such as sidewalks, street lighting, banners on light posts and other features that would give a common theme, a long sought objective of most municipalities along the boulevard.
Originally, the road construction also was planned to be done together with the utility undergrounding starting over a year ago. The idea was to put together the electricity, telephone and television undergrounding projects along with a reclaimed water project and the FDOT road reconstruction project to minimize total cost and public impacts.
Sweet said there will be detours and single-lane traffic throughout the construction. He said the roadway will be temporarily resurfaced after the reclaimed water lines are entrenched and permanently resurfaced later. Sweet said FDOT has agreed to vacuum accumulated sand from the roadway at least four times a year.
“I am very happy with the turnout,” Indian Shores Mayor Jim Lawrence said of the crowd eagerly looking to identify their properties on the county maps and asking tons of questions to the town, county officials and contractor.
“We tried to advertise it as much as we could through e-mails, fliers we sent out and our bulletin board,” Lawrence said.
Lawrence said there are some areas in the town where the project will go close to rights of way where resident mail boxes, irrigation sprinklers, signs and other things my be located.
Correction: Pinellas County Public Affairs representative Trish Muscarella does not a represent Pinellas County, she is employed by Post, Buckley, Schuh & Jernigan.
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Article published on Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2007
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