PASCO COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) – Peter, who lives in the Shady Hills area in Pasco County, asked for more information about the FDOT construction project underway on State Road 52. Specifically, he wanted to know the scope of the project, how it will impact the intersections at Shady Hills Road and US-41, how access to the gas station just east of the Suncoast Parkway would be changed, and when the mounds of torn-down trees on the side of State Road 52 would be removed.

FDOT is in the process of widening SR-52, between the Suncoast Parkway and US-41, to six lanes. A 12-foot-wide multi-use trail will be built along the north side of SR-52.

The construction manager for the project described the following changes will be made to the SR-52 and US-41 intersection:

  • US-41 will be widened on the approaches to SR-52.
  • The signal at US-41 will have three through lanes, and two left-turn lanes, eastbound and westbound on SR-52.
  • The eastbound lanes will also have two right-turn lanes, and westbound will have one right turn lane.
  • On US-41, north and southbound traffic will have two through lanes and one right turn lane.
  • Southbound traffic will have one left turn lane, while northbound traffic will have three left-turn lanes.

Regarding the intersection of SR-52 and Shady Hills, the intersection will have three through lanes and one left turn lane eastbound and westbound. Southbound Shady Hills will have dedicated left- and right-turn lanes.

At the gas station development just east of the Suncoast Parkway, a designated left-turn lane will be built for eastbound drivers. Drivers exiting the gas station will have to turn west.

FDOT says its contractor is making progress on removing the trees torn down for construction. The trees will be burned, with the current activity concentrated in the flood plain compensation areas near US-41. Most of that work has been completed, and the contractor is expected to begin piling and burning the trees along SR-52 next week, starting near US-41 and moving west. It’s expected that the trees will be gone in April.

The State Road 52 project won’t be completed until 2023.

For more information about the project, including photos that will be updated throughout construction, click here.

To see a more detailed map of the project, available as a pdf file, go to this link.

What’s your Road Rant? Email me at mcensullo@wfla.com.

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