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SEPTEMBER 22, 2021
Diverging Diamond work resumes
By B.C. Manion bcmanion@lakerlutznews.com
Superior Construction Company Southeast LLC began working on the completion of the Diverging Diamond Interchange (DDI) last week, at State Road 56 and Interstate 75. Work activities in the first few weeks will involve cleanup, surveying, and other tasks needed to safely resume construction.The project is expected to be completed in summer 2022, according to information on the
Florida Department of Transportation’s website. Activities last week were expected to include mobilization of labor, equipment and materials, erosion control, survey, jobsite cleanup of debris and office setup, according to an update provided by Kris Carson, spokeswoman for the District 7 office of the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). Minor pothole and erosion control repairs were completed last week by the interim maintenance contractor, the update
adds, with maintenance responsibility expected to be fully transitioned to Superior by Sept. 20. The project will reconfigure the I75/State Road 56 interchange between County Road 54 and Cypress Ridge Boulevard, in Pasco County. The existing diamond interchange will be modified and converted to a DDI. The main change will be to diverge, or cross, State Road 56 traffic to the left side of See DIAMOND, page 9A
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Pipes await a crew on the south side right of way, along State Road 56. Construction starts up again in the creation of the diverging diamond road design.
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Construction again has started at the State Road 56 and I-75 interchange. This photo was shot from I-75.
Vehicles that exited from the northbound lanes of I-75 to State Road 56 are diverted because of construction work at the interchange.
Governor wants to end Florida’s Considering options to ease traffic high-stakes testing By B.C. Manion
bcmanion@lakelutznews.com
By B.C. Manion bcmanion@lakerlutznews.com
Gov. Ron DeSantis has announced a legislative proposal that will eliminate the Common Core-based, end-of-year Florida Statewide Assessment (FSA), according to a news release from his office. Instead, the governor is proposing a new accountability measure known as the Florida Assessment of Student Thinking (F.A.S.T), which will monitor student progress and foster individual growth, according to the Sept. 14 news release. By creating F.A.S.T., Florida would become the first state in the nation to fully implement progress monitoring, instead of end-of-year standardized testing. “Florida’s education focus should be students’ growth and how we restore the conversation between parents and teachers in support of students’ growth,” DeSantis said, in the release. In this final step to eradicate Common Core from our assessments, our administration is implementing the lessons learned from progress monitoring both during the state’s recovery and from our districts and schools that were already showing how we can better support students reaching their own unique growth goals.” DeSantis made this announcement with Florida Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran, and was joined by several teachers and students from High Point Elementary School who have already benefited from utilizing the progress monitoring approach. “Each year, Governor DeSantis’ administration has been committed to a data-driven approach to constantly improving how Florida provides supports to its teachers and turns the focus of education to how we imSee TESTING, page 9A
Three alternatives are being considered to improve traffic flow through one of Pasco County’s busiest intersections. A community workshop was held last week for the public to weigh in on three proposed alternatives, as well as a no-build option, at U.S. 41 and State Road 54, in Land O’ Lakes. The intersection carried about 124,000 vehicles per day in 2019 and is projected to carry 176,000 vehicles per day in 2045, according to the Florida Department of Transportation’s District Seven presentation materials. State Road 54 runs east-west through Pasco County, providing connections to several regional north-south routes, including U.S. 19, the Suncoast Parkway, U.S. 41, Interstate 75, U.S. 301 and U.S. 98. Meanwhile, U.S. 41 is a north-south road that traverses the entire length of Pasco County. The roads are part of the regional transportation network, are used as hurricane evacuation routes, and are designated as regional freight mobility corridors. They also play a role in the daily lives of commuters. Motorists use U.S. 41 to travel from Hernando County through Pasco County to Hillsborough County. When the traffic stacks up at the intersection of U.S. 41 and State Road 54, traffic is impeded on both major arterial roads. The situation has been a source of frustration for motorists, who have complained for years about being stuck in traffic through repeated light cycles, and there’s been considerable talk, too, about the need to fix the problem. Besides being inconvenient, the crash rate at the intersection is higher than the state average, according to FDOT materials.
THE OPTIONS BEING CONSIDERED ARE:
• Alternative 1: A single-point urban intersection (SPUI), providing an interchange with State Road 54 elevated over U.S. 41. This alternative would affect 62 parcels and would require 28 business relocations. The anticipated need for right of way is 55.3 acres. The estimated present cost for this alternative is $222 million. • Alternative 2: A parallel flow intersection (PFI), providing displaced left-turns, in all four approaches, at grade. This alternative would affect 30 parcels and would require 17 business relocations. The anticipated need for right of way is 22.2 acres. The estimated present total cost for this alternative is $108.9 million. • Alternative 3: A continuous flow intersection (CFI), with elevated lanes of State Road 54 over U.S. 41, providing displaced left turns in all four approaches. This alternative would affect 65 parcels and would require 34 business relocations. The anticipated need for right of way is 54.5 acres.The estimated present day total cost is $246.3 million. All three of the options would involve three residential relocations and would impact eight contaminated sites. None of them would have an impact on archaeological or historical sites. There also is a no-build alternative, which will be dropped if and when an alternative is selected. The workshop drew 94 people, with 49 coming to the workshop at Keystone Community Church, off State Road 54, in Lutz, and 45 taking part virtually, according to figures provided by Kris Carson, spokeswoman for the District 7 office. The session included a video, that ran continuously, explaining the alternatives. Those attending could check out disSee TRAFFIC, page 9A
Worker shortage takes a toll on Pasco schools School board member Colleen Beaudoin urges Superintendent Kurt Browning to lighten the load, whatever way he can. By B.C. Manion bcmanion@lakerlutznews.com
Pasco County Schools has been struggling to fill bus driver, custodial, food service and instructional vacancies — prompting school board member Colleen Beaudoin to seek relief for overburdened workers. Although the numbers fluctuate from day to day, a recent report showed that the district had roughly 155 instructional vacancies and 348 non-instructional vacancies, according to Steve Hegarty, the district’s public information officer.The non-instructional vacancies include 100 bus driver openings. “Our folks are really under a lot of stress,” Beaudoin said, during the school board’s Sept. 14 meeting.“We must do something. Our folks need help” The district has added positions, but is having trouble filling them, she said. “Grants that were supposed to provide for more nurses to help with contact tracing — people are not taking these jobs. It is stretching our folks too thin. “On top of that, people are calling our schools and berating whoever answers the phone because they are upset that buses are late. See WORKER, page 9A