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County commissioners approve list of roads for construction

Photo Credit: MGN
Photo Credit: MGN

Construction may be coming to a road near you. The Alachua County Commission approved the list of roads and sites throughout the county that are part of the Transportation Capital Improvement Program at a meeting on Tuesday.

This program was first introduced to the county commission in 2021 and has been modified to meet current needs. The 10-year program includes five different sections to focus on, including improvement and widening of roadways and pavement management with minor improvements. Other goals are improvements to signals, bridge rehabilitation and construction and a bike/pedestrian program.

The program currently has 330 smaller projects listed and is estimated to cost almost $242 million. Funding for the program comes from the General Fund Transfer, infrastructure surtax, grants and the 5-cent local option gas tax.

Some of the roads listed in the plan include Northwest 23rd Avenue and Northeast 27th Avenue. The county plans on adding pedestrian hybrid, or HAWK, traffic signals in different areas as well, which allow pedestrians to cross safely. Ramon Gavarrete, the public works director for the county, presented the plans to the county commission, showing how the roads and sites were selected to be part of this program. Certain areas of inequity were targeted, along with roads that have received 15 or more work orders.

Commissioner Mary Alford voiced her opinion on targeting areas with schools and crosswalks before other projects.

“I just feel like if a kid gets hurt and somebody looks at us and says so you prioritized adult bicyclists over children that’s important,” Alford said. Gavarrete informed the commission that this is a dynamic program, meaning the commissioners can review and make adjustments every year to the order in which projects are
completed.

This approval from the county commission only focused on the list of projects to be completed. The budget proposals will be considered and voted on during the next budget cycle.

Megan is a reporter for WUFT News who can be reached by calling 352-392-6397 or emailing news@wuft.org.