RE: Re paving of Federal Highway
Tuesday, January 19, 2010 11:42:59 AM
From:
"Kenneth M. Schultz"
To:
"dickroney@aol.com"
Computers are up and we are back in business. Federal Highway, U.S. #1, is owned and maintained by the State of Florida’s Department of Transportation (DOT). DOT always has a five year plan for its work throughout the state. The re-paving of Federal Highway was identified as a need over 5 years ago. I do not know the criteria DOT uses to identify its projects nor why our Federal Highway was included. We were just informed the re-paving would take place in 2010. DOT has kept us informed on their progress with the project from day one.
The entire project is being funded by state’s DOT. I doubt any stimulus money is being used since the project was identified before the stimulus package was passed by Congress. There probably is, however, federal money being used because Congress appropriates each year money to be given to all the states for transportation needs. (Incidentally, when I go to Washington D.C. I always speak with our two senators and congressman encouraging them to adequately fund Florida’s transportation needs.) There is no local money being used in our project.
There is no sewer work being done; however, drains along Federal Highway will be upgraded. The preparation of the drains and other needs for re-paving will take place the first four or five months of the project. The actual re-paving will not take place until June or July.
The medians belong to the DOT as well. The Town requested landscaping the medians about 10 years ago. We had to submit landscaping plans before being permitted to plant anything. To landscape the medians, the Town also had to enter into a maintenance agreement with the DOT stating the Town would be responsible for the maintenance of the medians. This includes insuring the correct heights of plants at turn lanes and the correct pruning of trees to insure a motorist’s vision is not impaired. Prior to the landscaping, the medians consisted of weeds and no trees. The DOT then mowed the weeds twice a year. We have pictures of the medians before the landscaping plan was implemented. If the medians are impacted because of the re-paving project, DOT will replace the plants.
See you tomorrow evening.Created on ... January 24, 2010