St. Lucie County plans to undertake a year-long repaving and drainage project on Prima Vista Boulevard in October after Port St. Lucie opens the Crosstown Parkway Bridge’s intersection with U.S. 1.
Public works officials recommended the county commissioners award the contract Tuesday to the lowest bidder, Mancil Tractor Services of Palm City, which asked $3.3 million.
Ranger Construction bid $3.4 million, Community Asphalt bid $3.7 million and Morrison-Cobalt bid $4.8 million, county records show.
The county plans to resurface Prima Vista Boulevard and repair the drainage system from U.S. 1 nearly to Floresta Drive, said county spokesman Erick Gill. The project is expected to take nearly a year.
It is the biggest repaving project St. Lucie County is undertaking in 2019 with money from the half-percent sales tax hike voters approved last November.
St. Lucie County delayed the Prima Vista Boulevard resurfacing until October so the Crosstown Parkway could provide motorists with an alternative east-west route, Gill said.
Between 21,500 and 39,000 vehicles per day travel on Prima Vista and St. Lucie Boulevards between U.S. 1 and I-95, county records show.
Another 34,000 to 63,000 vehicles per day travel on Port St. Lucie Boulevard between U.S. 1 and Gatlin Boulevard, which leads to I-95.
Both east-west corridors have so much traffic during the morning rush hour they fail to meet congestion standards near the busiest intersections, county records show.
Crosstown Parkway runs along the southside of St. Lucie West and ends at Village Parkway in Tradition. Prima Vista Boulevard turns into St. Lucie West Boulevard west of Florida’s Turnpike.
The opening of the $90 million Crosstown Parkway extension to U.S. 1 in the fall is expected to make it increasingly easier for St. Lucie County motorists to travel east and west.
Port St. Lucie is holding a daylong celebration on Sept. 28 on the bridge deck featuring a parade, a ribbon cutting ceremony, live music, food trucks, a kid zone, a classic car show and fireworks.
The long-awaited thoroughfare is expected to siphon thousands of vehicles from Port St. Lucie, Prima Vista and St. Lucie West boulevards.
“Getting around town will be easier,” predicted Mayor Greg Oravec. “Emergency response times will be faster, our economy will be bigger and it’s even bringing us new parks.”
The spring 2020 completion of the widening of Midway Road to four lanes from U.S. 1 to South 25th Street will provide additional relief to motorists who need to travel east and west in St. Lucie County. FDOT started the $27 million project in November 2016.
Between 15,421 and 18,727 vehicles per day travel on Midway Road between U.S. 1 and 25th Street, county records show.
The developer of the LTC Ranch plans to widen Midway Road to four lanes west of I-95 in late 2020 or early 2021.
Between 16,500 and 22,000 vehicles per day travel on Midway Road between 25th Street and I-95, county records show. Parts of the road fail to meet congestion standards during morning and evening rush hours.
