By Brad Stager
Residents in two established communities along Lithia Pinecrest Rd. in the FishHawk area of Lithia can expect to see some road improvements and new infrastructure to improve their traffic situation in the coming months.
Hillsborough County is in the process of installing a traffic signal on Lithia Pinecrest Rd. where it intersects with Fishhawk Trails Dr. and Hawkpark Blvd. The two intersecting roads provide access to Lithia Pinecrest Rd. for people living in the Fish Hawk Trails and FishHawk Ranch housing developments, respectively.
During peak travel times, residents have difficulty exiting and entering the two communities, which are directly across from each other on Lithia Pinecrest Rd.
Improvements include installing a signal at the intersection and improving the roadways’ turn lanes. The county’s project plans, available for viewing online, also call for improvements to comply with traffic intersection design standards of the Americans with Disability Act and installing a roundabout at the nearby Boyette Rd. and Dorman Rd.
According to Sondra Gonzalez, planning and design manager for Hillsborough County’s Capital Programs department, the project will yield many benefits for residents.
“This project is part of the intersection operation and safety enhancement program and will provide signalized access for vehicles moving onto Lithia Pinecrest Rd. from Hawkpark Blvd. and Fishhawk Trails Dr. In addition, the project will allow pedestrians to cross Lithia Pinecrest Rd. safely utilizing the pedestrian signal features. The project also provides sidewalk access for pedestrians along the west side of Lithia Pinecrest Rd. from Hawkpark Dr. to just south of Fishhawk Blvd.,” Gonzalez wrote in an email.
The project is a Capital Improvement Project (CIP) of Hillsborough County and has a price tag of $1,261,534, with $304,534 of that amount allocated toward design and land costs, and construction costs accounting for the balance of $957,000.
It is currently in the design phase, with construction scheduled to start in the next few months and continuing until early 2021.
Residents can follow the progress of this and other transportation and infrastructure projects by accessing the Capital Improvement Projects viewer via Hillsborough County’s website at www.hillsboroughcounty.org, or they can call 635-5400 to ask questions.
