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Downtown Clearwater paving project will take a while

 
Published Dec. 9, 2015

I heard that State Road 60 is going to be closed for some major project. What's the story with that?

The $4.1 million project to repave a section of State Road 60 began last month and work is expected to continue until sometime next spring. The work is isolated to a stretch of Court Street/Chestnut Street in Clearwater between the Memorial Bridge and Missouri Avenue. The state Department of Transportation says due to damage from leaking pipes underground, some sections of the roadway will need to be rebuilt as will some portions of damaged sidewalk. The project will require around-the-clock lane closures in some areas with paving work scheduled to begin in January. Motorists can expect lane closures from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and from 7:30 p.m. to 7 a.m. Stay tuned as work progresses.

Who is responsible for setting the traffic light at the intersection of Indian Rocks Road at West Bay Drive? There is no right turn allowed for northbound traffic on Indian Rocks Road onto West Bay Drive. This makes no sense when westbound traffic on West Bay is allowed to make a left turn onto Indian Rocks Road. Since pedestrians cannot cross either roadway when the westbound traffic turns south, then it would make sense to allow the northbound traffic to turn east.

John J. Rinde

We asked Tom Washburn, Pinellas County's traffic engineering manager, to address your question about the turning prohibition. Washburn told us that the "no right turn on red" restriction you see at Indian Rocks Road and West Bay Drive was enacted due to crashes that were occurring at both the Publix entrance and at Valencia Drive east of the intersection. The decision was a matter of safety; prohibiting the right turns on red allows enough of a gap for vehicles to enter and exit these two heavily trafficked access points on West Bay Drive safely. Control of the traffic signal itself at that intersection is under the jurisdiction of the city of Belleair Bluffs. Contact the city's director of Public Works for more information regarding the traffic signal operation.

Barricade watch

• Installation of a stormwater pipe at 40th Street and Ulmerton Road will require closure of the south leg of the intersection today and Saturday from 7 a.m. until 5 p.m. both days; 40th Street will be closed to both northbound and southbound traffic. Vehicles will be detoured via Airway Circle and Drywall Drive.

• In Largo, sidewalk upgrade work on 126th Avenue between Starkey Road and Wild Acres Road will be ongoing through January. Expect lane closures and flagging personnel onsite.

• Pedestrian traffic on Belleair Road from S Evergreen Avenue to Eunice Lane is affected by sidewalk repair work scheduled to be ongoing through Wednesday. The sidewalk is closed on the south side of Belleair Road and pedestrians will need to use the sidewalk on the north side of Belleair Road. Motorists should use extra caution in the area.

• In Clearwater, Druid Road S from Corbett Street to Magnolia Drive and Jeffords Street from S Druid Road to Fort Harrison Avenue are affected by a project to improve drainage. The roads are closed through Dec. 30 with access for local and emergency vehicles only. Suggested detour route is Fort Harrison Avenue.

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Email Dr. Delay at docdelay@gmail.com or snail mail to P.O. Box 4954, Seminole, FL 33775, to share your traffic concerns, comments and questions. Follow @AskDrDelay.