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Hernando Today

Sunshine Grove Widening A Year Away

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By MICHAEL D. BATES

Hernando Today

Published: February 13, 2009

BROOKSVILLE - The widening of Sunshine Grove Road was supposed to begin this year.

Now, it looks like motorists will have to wait until the first part of 2010, County Engineer Charles Mixson said.

Last Friday, Mixson blamed the delay on Progress Energy officials who, he said, are running behind schedule of relocating power poles along the road.

Until that happens, work on the $8 million project cannot begin, he said.

But Progress Energy Florida spokeswoman Suzanne Grant said Monday the delay is not the fault of her company.

Grant said the widening project was delayed several months because it didn't get the necessary easement information from the county.

"We will install the new poles first and that should take three months and then go back and remove the existing poles and that should take a month," Grant said.

Grant also said the pole relocation could begin as early as October.

"We've been working with the county closely on the time line issue," Grant said.

The company has been communicating closely with Assistant County Engineer Gregg Sutton, its contact on the project.

Sutton acknowledged there had been some "back and forth" between county and Progress Energy attorneys and that the county thought it had supplied the power company with the easement information.

"Apparently, there was another piece of information they needed," Sutton said.

Sutton said the issue has been resolved.

Meanwhile, Mixson said that money, all collected from impact fees, is "in the bank" and ready to be used. The county has finished its own design plans, acquired the permits and the necessary right of way.

The county recently included Sunshine Grove Road - off State Road 50 - in its "wish list" of capital projects that may be earmarked for some of the billions in federal economic stimulus money.

If the feds green light that road project - which Mixson admits is a long shot - so much the better.

The road does meet the federal guidelines of "shovel-ready," or at least it will be in a year. And there is no doubt jobs will be created when construction begins, he said.

However, the project may not fit the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) criteria built into the stimulus guidelines, Mixson said.

The federal government is looking at projects that would enhance the environment, along with creating jobs.

The county would take the $8 million it has already collected and apply it to other road projects in the District 1 impact fee area - perhaps improving some limerock roads.

Either way, the road will be widened, he said.

Currently, Sunshine Grove Road is a two-lane highway heavily used by students and faculty of Central High School and other educational institutions off Ken Austin Parkway, which is about two miles north of S.R. 50.

The Spring Ridge subdivision is also located along Sunshine Grove.

When finished, the two-mile stretch of road will be widened to four lanes, with a center turn lane installed at S.R. 50. The intersection at Ken Austin Parkway and Star Road will be realigned so both roads will line up for easy access.

There will be new sidewalks installed on the west side of the road, which will accommodate Spring Ridge residents.

The entire construction project should take 15 months, which places completion sometime in 2011, Mixson said.

But before any of that begins, the Progress Energy poles will have to be moved farther from the roadway to accommodate the widening.

Reporter Michael D. Bates can be reached at 352-544-5290 or mbates@hernandotoday.com.

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