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Most Recent Entries
- FDOT Construction Update - Hillsborough and Pinellas Counties
- Driving in Fog
- SR-54 Public Hearing
- Tampa Airport Interchanges Construction Project Update
- Ironman 70.3 and Its Traffic Impact this Saturday
- November Construction Update
- Hillsborough County Launches County US 301 Construction on Thursday
- Himes Avenue Construction
- Railroad Construction Will Close a Portion of SR-60 in Hillsborough County
- What's Your Tastykake?
- I-75 Construction Closures
- Busch Boulevard Construction Is Now Underway
- Heavy Rains Delay Traffic Pattern Shift Near TIA
- Tampa Bay Commuters Go Green
- Tampa Airport Interchanges Updates - Eastbound SR 60 exit to TIA to switch back to right lane on Oct
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All traffic continues to be diverted off of I-275 Southbound in Pinellas County.
Early this morning, a car involved in a police chase was traveling in the Southbound lanes when it crashed into an overpass at 31st Street Southbound. The impact of the crash left the car dangling off of the interstate. Four victims were transported to local hospitals. We have now learned that one of those people has died.
The accident has forced officials to shut down I-275 at 5th Avenue Northbound. Traffic is jammed approaching the closure point.
Alternates include US-19 Southbuund which turns into 34th Street. You can also use US-92 Southbound. Both roadways parallel I-275.
The Florida Highway Patrol remains on the scene.
**** AS OF 8:OOAM, ALL SOUTHBOUND LANES HAVE BEEN REOPENED. TRAFFIC IS RETURNING TO NORMAL IN THE REGION. ****
Traffic along 21st and 22nd Streets in Ybor City is being diverted. Shortly after 11:00AM, a truck collided with a pole near Adamo Drive. This collision knocked down several power lines. Tampa Police are responding. No word on any injuries reported on the scene. So far, no local power outages have been noted.
Earlier today, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office announced that two Lakeland school crossings will lose their crossing guards because of a lack of students at these pedestrian routes.
A crossing guard will no longer be posted at the intersection of Hartsell Avenue and Lake Beulah Drive in Lakeland. This crossing was used by students at Blake Academy.
Also, the crossing guard will be removed from patrol along Halam Drive at Live Oak Road. This crossing was established for students at Highlands Grove Elementary.
Both crossing guards will be removed effective October 8, 2007.
Changes are coming that will shape the future of traffic for many… as Florida’s Department of Transportation makes plans to build a new connector between I-4 and the Crosstown Expressway.
Adam Perez is a spokesperson for FDOT.
AP: “The connector project is a critical link between I -4 and the Selmon Expressway.”
The project will provide a brand new route for motorists traveling East or Westbound along I-4 to directly access the Crosstown without using secondary roads especially through Ybor City along 22nd Street. There will also be an elevated, dedicated ramp series for trucks.
AP: “These truck only lanes will allow trucks to travel either East or Westbound along I-4 and have a direct route to the Port of Tampa.”
And officials say the benefits will help alleviate traffic congestion regionally.
AP: “Brandon residents will certainly benefit from this project, but it is also going to provide and alternate route for going downtown.”
But the convenience of the connector will cost you.
AP: “Yes, the conector will be a toll facility. The tolling schedule has not been finalized yet but you could expect somewhere around the dollar range.”
Also, officials are careful to maintain the character of the historic area in their designs.
AP: “In the design you’ll notice aesthetic features in the tolling facility as well as the major gateways into and out of Ybor around 7th Avenue and also around 26th Street in the Palmetto Beach area.
The entire project is estimated to cost more than 516 million dollars and is currently in the design phase. Crews are scheduled to break ground sometime in 2010.
Heads-up for Sarasota County Drivers… The City of Sarasota has announced that FDOT has postponed a road improvement project at the intersection of Main Street and U.S. 41. The work was scheduled to begin today and run through early December. The postponement is indefinite. FDOT cites an unexpected utility conflict in the vicinity as the reason for the delay.
Drivers along Eastbound I-4 in Hillsborough County - watch out. All lanes of I-4 are shut down between MLK Boulevard and US-301 due to an overturned tractor trailer. The Fire Department and Sheriff are responding. Traffic is being diverted onto MLK Boulevard Eastbound, to I-75 Northbound and eventually back to I-4.
Westbound I-4 drivers face gaper delays into the scene of the crash.
Stay tuned to News Channel 8 for more updates on this developing story.
Saturday night I judged the Calendar Girl Contest at Plant City High School. All of the ladies were spectacular… believe me, it was a very tough decision to select just 13… but here they are (see picture above).
Thanks to Deanna and Shelly for their hospitality!
P.S. Thanks to our Weather-Watcher Betty, from Plant City, for the picture above. Her granddaaughter, Ashlie, won Miss July!
Travis from Achieve, Dr. Gunderman with Alicia Roberts
Special thanks to Michelle Wood, David Brooks and Dr. Gunderman for their hospitality at 25th Annual Gunderman Golf Classic to benefit United Cerebral Palsy and Achieve Tampa Bay. Last night, I emceed the award ceremony for the tournament.
While we did have torrential rains and lots of loud “thunder-boomers,” that did not dampen anyone’s spirits. In fact, we laughed it off and listened to “Wipe Out!” - compliments of DJ Robert Horning.
The tournament raises thousands of dollars every year for UCP and Achieve. Thanks to everyone for generous their support of this great cause!
As you head out on this Thursday morning, watch for big jams Southbound along I-275 through downtown Tampa. We are currently following a multi-vehicle wreck just past Ashley Drive involving a rollover. That accident has now been pushed to the shoulder. Traffic is slowly improving in the region but still expect significant delays.
Southbound drivers can use Dale Mabry Highway, Florida or Nebraska Avenues to bypass the slow-go along the interstate.
Commuters on Westhbound I-4 will also face heavier than normal drive times through the downtown junction as a result of the I-275 crash.
This morning some eye-opening information was reported in the Tampa Tribune confirming what Bay area drivers realize everyday. Traffic congestion in the Tampa/St. Petersburg area is bad… among the worst in the nation!
In fact, this latest study ranks the Tampa-St. Petersburg area 20th among the 85 largest U.S. cities. That 2005 ranking was slightly better than 2004 and 2003, when the area ranked 14th and 11th, respectively.
On average, drivers here in the Bay area spent 46 hours sitting in traffic in 2004 and 2003 and 45 hours in 2005.
Traffic congestion costs drivers more than just lost time, or the opportunity cost of delays. In fact, this congestion can pinch your wallets. Rising gas prices, combined with inflation, has made it more costly to sit in traffic in 2005, even if the actual hourly delay was slightly lower. Traffic delays cost drivers $809, on average in 2005. By the way, that is $20 more than 2004 and $60 more that 2003.
Continuing our construction series spanning the Bay area… we take a look at one of the most challenging and over-due ... the $204 million dollar Tampa Airport Interchanges Project.
Hard hats and heavy equipment signal changes along Memorial Hwy near the airport.
JM: “We are about two years into this project and people are seeing a lot of work done out there right now.”
Lots of work and some construction closures, but FDOT Spokesperson John McShaffery says the improvements will be worth the repair hassles.
JM: “We are going to allow for more free-flowing traffic throughout the area, and that is the ultimate goal.”
Changes to State Road 60 include dedicated through-lanes to I-275 and The Veterans,
the elimination of traffic signals at the Courtney Campbell Causeway, a new interchange at the Hyatt Hotel and better access to TIA.
JM: “You won’t have to change lanes to get to the ultimate road destination you are trying to connect to.”
But the project has its share of hassles for the construction teams as well.
JM: “This is a very tricky area to work in with the airport being there in particular. we have to work around airport schedules, flight schedules. When we put our cranes in the air, that all revolves around what the FAA and the airport can allow.”
Despite the restrictions, the project is scheduled for completion in 2010, and officials are optimistic.
JM: “We hope to have a majority of the work done before the Superbowl arrives in 2009.”
Okay, as many of you may know, I was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Well, a lot of former Philadelphian’s have emailed me since I arrived in the Bay area. It seems some of us Northerners are just better suited for the warm winters of sunny Florida!
One of the favorite things about living in the Philly area is vacationing at the Jersey shore. Nothing beats the sounds of the Tram-car, the Victorian homes and culture of Cape May, and seeing the famed Music Pier in Ocean City. Well, if you are longing for a little piece of back home, I may be able to help!
Call it a very proud goddaughter, but my fabulous Uncle Joe also happens to be a highly-respected artist. Check out his painting above. His landscapes are precise and serene… looking into one of his paintings takes you back in time. With vivid detail, Joseph Ryan captures memories of the most wonderful days you spent just walking along the water’s edge watching the sunset over the horizon.
I just thought I would share his work with us Philadelphia and New Jersey “transplants” here in the Bay area. For more information visit http://www.josephryanart.com or contact him at . Enjoy!
P.S. All this reminiscing suddenly put me in the mood for a salt water taffy or two!
While gas prices seem to never go quite as low as we would like, at least this is a bit of good news. Thanks to Gregg Laskoski from AAA Auto Club South for the update:
JUST AS CRUDE OIL AND RETAIL FUEL CLIMBED WITH FELIX AND HUMBERTO, THEY ARE EXPECTED TO FALL AS INGRID WEAKENS
Tampa, FL (Sept. 16) – Although crude oil traded at a record high $80 per barrel last week, a rally assisted by tropical storms tracking toward the Gulf of Mexico, the speculation that pumped the price is expected to flatten quickly as Ingrid weakens and moves away from the Gulf.
Oil inventories are falling in the U.S., but remain at record levels. Nonetheless, gasoline demand has ebbed with the end of the summer driving season. These are some of the reasons why analysts do not believe market fundamentals support the recent run-up on crude oil.
“This weekend, refineries can begin producing winter-blend fuel which is cheaper and easier to produce than summer-blend gasoline. And, if weather remains uneventful, retail prices could soon decline in a pattern comparable to what we saw in late September and October, 2006,” said Randy Bly, community relations director, AAA Auto Club South.
CURRENT AND PAST PRICE AVERAGES
Regular Unleaded Gasoline
Current Week Ago Month Ago Year Ago
National: $2.794 $2.783 $2.759 $2.531
Florida: $2.798 $2.732 $2.738 $2.621
Georgia: $2.702 $2.686 $2.649 $2.381
Tennessee: $2.671 $2.620 $2.619 $2.408
AAA’s Daily Fuel Gauge Report (fuelgaugereport.com) is updated each day and is the most comprehensive; reflecting actual prices from credit card transactions within the past 24 hours at two-thirds (100,000 stations) of the gasoline stations in the U.S. Its accuracy is unparalleled.
Bids will begin in October for the replacement of the aging County Road 39 Bridge which crosses the Alafia River. Project officials hope the new bridge will be open to commuters in the Fall of 2008.
The current bridge was built in 1962 and according to engineers, is structurally deficient.
The nearly 300 foot-long replacement will include 12-foot lanes as well as sidewalks and shoulders on teh bridge and approaches.
Crews will construct a temporary bypass so motorists will be able to cross the river south of Plant City without major detours. The project is estimated to cost $5.2 million dollars.
Shortly before 5:00 this morning, a truck carrying produce flipped over in Lakeland at the intersection of County Line and Coronet Roads. As of 8:00 Friday morning, officials were still on the scene working to upright the truck and clean-up a portion of the load which spilled on the roadway. The intersection remains shut down, with traffic squeezing by on the shoulders only. Expect significant delays throughout the area.
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