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Clogged Intersection's Solution A Long Process

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By HAROLD VALENTINE, The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 24, 2007

CARROLLWOOD - Accidents at the diagonally angled intersection of Gunn Highway and Linebaugh Avenue have initiated design changes.

County statistics show 94 crashes at the intersection between April 2005 and March.
Edd Arnold, the Hillsborough County project manager for the intersection's changes, said adding right turning lanes should help traffic flow.

"The whole point is there have been a high number of accidents at this intersection," Arnold said.

Arnold said because Gunn crosses Linebaugh diagonally, "there's a bit of a misalignment. We're going to correct that."

The right-turn lane improvements are planned on Linebaugh to southbound Gunn, and on Gunn for eastbound Linebaugh drivers. Arnold said planners suggested a right-turn lane on Gunn for westbound Linebaugh, but there is not enough traffic to justify the change.

The same reason held for a suggested left-turn lane from westbound Linebaugh onto southbound Gunn.

Arnold said residents complained at a recent meeting that eastbound drivers waiting through two or three light cycles to cross Gunn are often cut off by drivers merging over from the right-turn only lane.

"We discussed the possibility of flexible posts to barricade the right turning lane from the through movements," he said.

Merchants and employees working near the intersection, however, said they have noticed other problems.

David Hardy, owner of Val's Basket Warehouse south of Linebaugh on Gunn, said the southbound left-turn lane from Gunn onto Dale Mabry Highway holds only four cars, putting the fifth car out in a through lane. Hardy said that affects the already congested Gunn and Linebaugh intersection during rush hour.

"I haven't heard any complaints from customers," Hardy said. "But the Gunn and Linebaugh intersection in the mornings is horrible."

On the northwest side of the intersection, BP gas station employee Paul Garcia said the accidents he has seen are west of Gunn on Linebaugh, where drivers exit the station, heading westbound on Linebaugh.

"People are always jumping in front of each other," he said.

On the southwest corner, Action Lock & Safe employee Randy Howell said he has noticed problems in the left-turning lane from northbound Gunn onto westbound Linebaugh.

"The left turn lane on Gunn for Linebaugh is a pain because it doesn't go back far enough," Howell said. "There should be two left turn lanes or the one should go back to the previous light."

After the public suggestions are worked out, a final design is expected to be completed in May. Then, Arnold said, the land acquisition process will begin.

"The longest and the biggest unknown is land acquisition," he said. "Sometimes that can take a long, long time."

Arnold said land acquisition can take a year to a year-and-a-half.

Construction isn't expected at the intersection until 2010 and may take a year to complete.

Like the intersection at Waters Avenue and Anderson Boulevard, scheduled for completion in February, construction at Gunn and Linebaugh will take a long time because the high volume of traffic will continue to flow during construction, Arnold said.

The budget for the project is $2.45 million.

Other roads under construction in Northdale include Hutchinson Road from Pennington to Carey roads. The replacement of telephone poles and wires continues until March 30.

In Carrollwood, Orange Grove Drive is undergoing utility maintenance between Stall Road and Woodroffe Court until Friday.

Beginning Dec. 3 and running until Dec. 14 on Bearss Avenue between Florida Avenue and Winding Creek Road, construction is scheduled to keep lanes alternating from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

In Town 'N Country, bridge maintenance on West Waters Avenue, between Montague Street and Redbraes Drive, will keep construction crews busy until Jan. 4.

Guardrail repair on Hixon Road between Sheldon Road and National Golf Drive is being done between rush hours until Dec. 28.

Anderson Road is undergoing guardrail repairs in two areas: between Arbor Ridge Road and Elmfield Drive and between Crenshaw Street and Tampa West Boulevard. Both projects run through Dec. 21.

On Woodbridge Circle between Woodbridge Boulevard and San Luis Court, curb and gutter repair begins Monday and lasts until Jan. 18.

Reporter Harold Valentine can be reached at (813) 865-1526 or hvalentine@tampatrib.com.

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