HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — As western Hillsborough County has grown, so have traffic problems.
“Actually people who live in west Hillsborough County, the only ways that they have to east-west was either Linebaugh or South Mobley,” said Sandra Gonzalez, Design Manager for Hillsborough County’s Capital Program Department.
That’s where the Citrus Park Drive Extension Project comes into play, offering people another travel option while decreasing the distance and reducing the time.
“It used to be like close to a little bit over 5.3 miles if somebody was at Racetrack Boulevard and they needed to go to the east part of Hillsborough County. So they would have to go all the way down to Linebaugh and then come on Sheldon and keep on going. So through this connection, it will greatly reduce those travel times. It’s approximately a little bit over 20 minutes on travel time reduction,” said Gonzalez.
The new Citrus Park Drive extension is about 2.73 miles long and connects Countryway Boulevard to Sheldon Road.
“This project was identified back in the early 2000s,” said Gonzalez.
This new street is set to accommodate future traffic demands in the area as more people move to western Hillsborough County including the neighborhoods surrounding West Chase and Citrus Park.
“As we all know there has been growth in the area, and of course increased traffic,” said Gonzalez.
Project leaders say they focused on pedestrian safety too, putting in sidewalks along the road, buffer bike lanes, and high emphasis crosswalks to provide connectivity to other neighborhoods in the area.
The new sidewalks will also give people an easier way to access the Upper Tampa Bay Trail.
“It is extremely important to know our goal is to provide safer transportation for all modes of transportation including pedestrians and bicyclists,” said Gonzalez.
