INDIAN RIVER COUNTY – The Metropolitan Planning Organization of Indian River County released its Priority Projects Report during a meeting this week, showing which roadway construction projects they will request funding for from the State in 2011/2012. High on that list is the long-anticipated second interchange on I-95 at Oslo Road.
“The Department of Transportation considers what we are requesting them to fund with state and federal gas taxes, reconciles our request from what they have available,” said MPO staff director Phillip Matson. “First, they fund our basic, life-sustaining maintenance projects like bridge rehabilitation and road outages, and then they fund our roadway expansion plans which are on the priority list.”
The List of Priority (Interstate) Highway Projects begins and ends with the Oslo Road interchange at I-95. The new interchange would help meet anticipated future travel demand and assist in generating commercial and industrial activity. The interchange would also enhance hurricane evacuation capabilities in the county. Right-of-way and construction funding is being requested for this project.
Because locally-funded roadway improvement projects can be completed in shorter timeframes than state or federally funded projects, the Metropolitan Planning Organization often does not include priority projects on highways where local funding is available. Thus, the priority highway projects list includes only the roadway projects requiring state or federal funds which are not needed for several years.
The two candidate TRIP Grant Priority Highway Projects in the regional category involve 66th Avenue and CR 510. The 66th avenue and CR 510 projects involve making both of the roads four lanes; 66th Avenue will be widened from SR 60 to CR 510, and CR 512 will be widened from CR 512 to US-1.
Sixty-sixth Avenue is the primary connector between Sebastian and SR 60 near the Indian River Mall. Construction funding is being requested for the first phase of the project, the widening of the road between 77th Street and CR 510.
“I live in Sebastian, and I go down 66th, to hit 60 to go south on I-95,” City of Sebastian Appointee to the Committee David DeVirglio said. “I don’t got back north past (Sebastian River High School) to add 10 miles on my trip to go south, it doesn’t make sense.”
County Road 510 is the primary evacuation route for the northern barrier island to I-95 and is also northern Indian River County’s major east-west artery. Construction funding is being requested for the first phase of the project, the widening of CR 510 from 75th Court to 61st Drive
Three other Priority Highway Projects were listed in the “Other” category. These involve the extension of 82nd Avenue as a two-lane road from 26th street to CR 510, widening Oslo Road to four lanes from 58th Avenue to I-95, and widening US 1 to six lanes from 53rd Street to CR 510.
Right-of-way acquisition funds have been allocated in 2011-12 for the 82nd Street project, and some construction funding has been allocated in 2015-16. Construction funding is being requested to complete the project.
The widening of Oslo Road is the continuation of two other widening projects currently undertaken by the County; the widening of Oslo Road from 27th Avenue to 43rd Avenue to four lanes with a nearly identical project done to Oslo Road between 43rd Avenue and 58th Avenue. This will alleviate anticipated congestion and capacity issues on Oslo Road, and funding for the planning, developmental, and engineering phase of the project are being requested.
The US 1 project will address a future capacity deficiency and it appears in the 2035 Long Range Transportation Plan as a near-term (2016-2020) priority. Funding is being requested to begin the planning, developmental, and engineering phase of the project.
