Tallahassee Transportation

[thetoolman]

Moving I-10 Forward Website

This is the project site, and it claims that the next step is "Letting" in May, with construction to begin in September.

Is letting related to getting bids from contractors?

[JBarber]

Sadly, that website has not been updated since March 1, 2005. Segment 3 (CCNE to Meridian) was to start construction in September '05. At a minimum, the project is 1 year behind schedule. I sent an e-mail to FDOT asking about an update to the website.

I think the letting date is the same as contract award. At least the timing is about right - 4 months from letting of contract to commencement of project. It would take that long to get crews, equipment, materials, etc.

[poonther]

^ Thanks JB for the info and the email. Let me know if you find something out please. I thought this project was behind AGAIN. I believe the dates on the old website were actually the revised timeline for the project and now it seems as if they are doing it again. Damn will this ever happen?

[jpl02]

^ Thanks JB for the info and the email. Let me know if you find something out please. I thought this project was behind AGAIN. I believe the dates on the old website were actually the revised timeline for the project and now it seems as if they are doing it again. Damn will this ever happen?

FDOT has a dislike for Tallahassee. I remember during the past summer we had a presentation from some chick from the Apalachee Regional Planning Council. She inaccurately stated that all of I-10 in Florida would be widedned except for Leon County (Leon is included), but she made the point that FDOT hates dealing with Leon County because of NIMBYs and anti-growth people. I can believe that much.

I told her about the I-10 project website, but she didn't believe me. She probably didn't want to be embarrased in front of our class. Wrong is wrong is wrong!

[Florida]

Oh that makes tons of sense for her to say it I-10 would be widened throughout all of Florida except for its only other major city outside of Jacksonville. It would look really smart to see a 6 lane I-10 in Holmes, Jackson, Gadsden, Jefferson, and Madison Counties and not Leon.

You are right, JPL, she didn't want to be embarassed.

[thetoolman]

I used to live in a house that backed up to I-10 right when they were getting that widening project approved. I think that I remember Tommy Speights being helpful and nice about my questions.

They were going to widen it into the median, so there would be little impact on proximity to my house, and they were adding noise barriers to most of the route by residential areas, which I am sure would have made a big improvement.

I was lobbying for an exit at Centerville Rd, but he said it would not be possible with in being a Canopy Road. Apparently there is not an interchange type that can be built that restricts commercial development like gas stations, etc.

Nevertheless, I am much happier in the relative peace and quiet in Southwood, far away from the big diesel noise.

[jpl02]

I used to live in a house that backed up to I-10 right when they were getting that widening project approved. I think that I remember Tommy Speights being helpful and nice about my questions.

They were going to widen it into the median, so there would be little impact on proximity to my house, and they were adding noise barriers to most of the route by residential areas, which I am sure would have made a big improvement.

I was lobbying for an exit at Centerville Rd, but he said it would not be possible with in being a Canopy Road. Apparently there is not an interchange type that can be built that restricts commercial development like gas stations, etc.

Nevertheless, I am much happier in the relative peace and quiet in Southwood, far away from the big diesel noise.

With the amount of population Leon County has, it's ridiculous that we have so few interchanges with I-10. In Macon, GA, for example, Bibb County has half the population we do, yet they have several more interchanges with their interstate than we do, and they have their own interstate bypass to boot!

I would have liked an exit at Centerville Road so badly. I understand about the road being a canopy, but a partial interchange could have been built (such as eastbound I-10 only, westbound exit/eastbound entrance, et al). The good part about it is, that the Centerville Road bridge over I-10 is 4 lanes, so it is possible! The Welaunee Parkway interchange cannot come soon enough!

I wonder if FDOT or anyone else has considered some more I-10 interchanges in town, like at Baum Road on the east side or Mission Road on the west side. Mission Road is a pretty important road!

I'm assuming that once I-10 widening is completed, it would pretty much be one of those deals with a concrete barrier in the median and full shoulders. The soundwalls are a needed touch, and they will make us feel like a much larger city

[Florida]

I'm a big advocate of the Mission Road Exit Ramp. I agree that it is an important road, and it would relieve so much congestion and useless travel west to get onto the Capital Circle ramps.

I'm glad you mentioned that jpl.

[TD]

Where is the work on I-10? I contacted the company back in october or so last year, and they said work will beign march 06.... nothing has happened.... when?

[JBarber]

Where is the work on I-10? I contacted the company back in october or so last year, and they said work will beign march 06.... nothing has happened.... when?

The e-mail response I got from Tommy Speights said that they are working on getting a new webmaster. If that is their focus, it does not bode well for the schedule.

btw, I asked if there was an updated schedule, or if there would be updates to the website. Maybe he did not read the whole sentence.

[laneyj34]

jp...

where is the welaunee ramp you speak of going to be? also, the centerville bridge is only two lanes. centerville is two lanes from capital circle out. also, i think it would make more sense for a west bound entry to I-10 and an east bound exit off of I-10 onto centerville if they were ever going to do something like that. i have lived off centerville past I-10 my whole life, and most people in that area use I-10 to go west and return home going east. finally, when you spoke of sound barriers, would they go all the way from 90 to CC on the west side?

[mstan2685]

From today's Traffic Doctor column: "The problem at so many exits is that the line of turners might back up a mile or more. The Florida Department of Transportation knows that. In fact, the widening of I-10 is scheduled to begin later this year, said spokesman Tommie Speights." So hopefully we will see the dirt turned up on this project in 2006!

Full Article

[jpl02]

jp...

where is the welaunee ramp you speak of going to be? also, the centerville bridge is only two lanes. centerville is two lanes from capital circle out. also, i think it would make more sense for a west bound entry to I-10 and an east bound exit off of I-10 onto centerville if they were ever going to do something like that. i have lived off centerville past I-10 my whole life, and most people in that area use I-10 to go west and return home going east. finally, when you spoke of sound barriers, would they go all the way from 90 to CC on the west side?

My bad! I got the Centerville Road bridge and the Meridian Road bridges confused! It was one of those days yesterday. It is the Meridian Road bridge that is 4 lanes.

The Welaunee Parkway interchange, whenever the hell it gets built, will be between Centerville and Miccosukee.

I don't know how far the sound barriers will extend. Sounds like a good question for Tommie Speights, eh?

The Road Doctor column in today's Democrat mentions a note about the I-10 widening, in conjunction with all the stooopid motorists stopping on the interstate to exit at Thomasville Road. The idiocy!

[laneyj34]

will the welaunee interchange go over I-10 even though it connects centerville and micc?

[poonther]

^ Yeah guys I'm curious about this too. I remember seeing a map of the proposed route of the Blvd., but now when I try and find (google) it, nothing comes up.

jpl02 do you have any links or maps of this propsed blvd?

[jpl02]

^ Yeah guys I'm curious about this too. I remember seeing a map of the proposed route of the Blvd., but now when I try and find (google) it, nothing comes up.

jpl02 do you have any links or maps of this propsed blvd?

I thought there was something posted on here from awhile ago with Welaunee info.......hmm.....it appears that TJ had hosted a map on his image server, but it's not there anymore. But basically, it's a route right smack between Centerville and Miccosukee. On the south end, iI\t's supposed to begin at that f-ed up intersection with Centerville and Buford (where you have to turn to stay on Centerville). Where that dead end is now is where Welaunee shall be. The north end....I have no idea where it is, possibly terminating at Centerville Road north of Brafordville/Roberts.

[Florida]

Here's another look...

[poonther]

^ You the man TJ!

That sure is an odd curve at the end of the Blvd. I wonder what it is going around? I'm not that familiar w/that area up there, so I'm not sure exactly what road they are showing it linking up w/at the terminus at C'ville. It's the yellow denoted road at the very top right of the map. Any ideas???

[Glenn]

^ You the man TJ!

That sure is an odd curve at the end of the Blvd. I wonder what it is going around? I'm not that familiar w/that area up there, so I'm not sure exactly what road they are showing it linking up w/at the terminus at C'ville. It's the yellow denoted road at the very top right of the map. Any ideas???

Yes, Thanks so much for reposting the diagram, TJ!

Poonther, I totally agree with you about that screwed up odd curve/loop at the Northern end of this new road. Why in the world would they would design a new road with a hairpin curve??? Seems like an invitation for accidents as sharp as it appears to be on the drawing. I think the drawing is showing it intersecting with Centerville at Pimlico Dr. Several friends that live up that way have all told me that Welaunee Blvd. is suppossed to intersect with Centerville at Pimlico right by Roberts Elementary School. There's already a traffic light at this intersection now & it does appear that the roadway leading to the school could very well be extended on past the school. If this is the case, then it appears that maybe the odd loop design is going behind/around the school before intersecting with Centerville. It is strange though.

Update....I checked & found that the Leon County School District owns the 122+ acres at the Northern end of the proposed Welaunee Blvd. (right up where the oddball hairpin curve is shown) They own the property to the South & West of the present Roberts Elementary right on up to the Roberts/Centerville intersection. My friends up that way say they've heard rumors about a Middle School possibly being built on this property just North of the present elementary school. It seems they certainly have enough property to do that.

Also, the City has already started construction on the section circled in Blue at the lower left of the drawing between the Centerville/Buford interchange & Fleishman Road. It appears everything is just about cleared & ready to begin construction. They were moving an old dilapidated house out of there when I drove by earlier this morning.

[psycuda]

I've got the original proposal on Welaunee in my office. One of these days when I have a free few minutes (ha ha) I'll take a look at it and post something up on it.

[laneyj34]

indeed the hairpin goes around roberts. i work at roberts elementary. i would imagine that the hairpin will go out around roberts and connect with the roundabout that is currently at the end of the road that connects roberts with centerville rd (you have to turn off of centerville to get to roberts-- on the other side of centerville, this road is pimlico, so it makes sense to have welaunee connect with this roundabout).

on a side note... i have also heard rumors of a middle school going up next to roberts. i will try and find out more on this at work tomorrow or friday.

also, it would be interesting to see if welaunee will connect with buckhead... it looks like it will butt right up against buckhead, which i am sure everyone currently living there will be against.

[Glenn]

indeed the hairpin goes around roberts. i work at roberts elementary. i would imagine that the hairpin will go out around roberts and connect with the roundabout that is currently at the end of the road that connects roberts with centerville rd (you have to turn off of centerville to get to roberts-- on the other side of centerville, this road is pimlico, so it makes sense to have welaunee connect with this roundabout).

on a side note... i have also heard rumors of a middle school going up next to roberts. i will try and find out more on this at work tomorrow or friday.

also, it would be interesting to see if welaunee will connect with buckhead... it looks like it will butt right up against buckhead, which i am sure everyone currently living there will be against.

Cool...always great to have inside contacts for information! We are a pretty well connected/informed group here on U.P.-Tallahassee. aren't we?

I wondered the same thing about the Buckhead subdivision, laneyj34. I looked up the subdivision on the property appraisers site & I didn't see any possible connections to the new road. It appeared the new road would run right behind homes located on 3-4 different cul-de-sacs. Although, as we all know to well, everything is subject to change...Ha!

[poonther]

Thanks for all the great info G-man and LJ. You are right about the folks out at Buckhead, they will probably scream their heads off about the new Blvd, then of course after it's built, they'll use it all the time.

Still that hairpin curve seems a little excessive. Maybe it won't be as bad IRL. Looks like they could make the road however/wherever they want since Welaunee owns all the land in the area. Anyone know the time line on this project? I know they are building out to F'man currently but when will they give us another exit to I-10 w/it?

[Florida]

Could it be possible that the road curves around a body of water of some sort at the top? Or maybe there are some old trees.

[thetoolman]

....but when will they give us another exit to I-10 w/it?

I also vaguely remember Tommie telling me that there was a limit to how many interchanges could exist in an area before the rural interstate became an urban interstate, possibly requiring the speed limit to be less than 70mph.

Since I never drive in the interstate through town, this would not be a big deal for me personally, but I don't imagine the DOT makes decisions based on that.

I tried to find some evidence of this, but had no luck. JB - maybe you can ask him about it when you hear back.

I did find this...

Guidelines for interstate access - Access Policy Statement of the Fed Hwy Administration

Tidbits -

• . The operational analysis for existing conditions shall, particularly in urbanized areas, include an analysis of sections of Interstate to and including at least the first adjacent existing or proposed interchange on either side.

• All reasonable alternatives for design options, location and transportation system management type improvements (such as ramp metering, mass transit, and HOV facilities) have been assessed and provided for if currently justified, or provisions are included for accommodating such facilities if a future need is identified.

• The proposed access point does not have a significant adverse impact on the safety and operation of the Interstate facility based on an analysis of current and future traffic

The last one is the closest I could find to the speed limit issue.