The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) District Seven, in collaboration with Hillsborough County, is conducting a Project Development & Environment (PD&E) study along Branch Forbes Road from south of US 92 to north of I-4 in Hillsborough County.
PD&E Study Purpose
The objective of the PD&E Study is to assist the FDOT Office of Environmental Management (OEM) in reaching a decision on the type, location, and conceptual design of the proposed improvements for the widening of Branch Forbes Road and operational improvements at the I-4 interchange, including stormwater management facilities (SMF) and floodplain compensation (FPC) sites. This study documents the need for the improvements as well as the procedures utilized to develop and evaluate various improvements, including elements such as proposed typical sections, preliminary horizontal alignments, and intersection enhancements.
The PD&E study satisfies all applicable requirements, including the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), to qualify for federal-aid funding of subsequent development phases (design, right-of-way acquisition, and construction). This project was screened through the FDOT’s Efficient Transportation Decision Making (ETDM) process as ETDM Project No. 14470. The ETDM Programming Screen Summary Report was published on September 23, 2021, containing comments from the Environmental Technical Advisory Team (ETAT) on the project’s effects on various natural, physical, and social resources. A Type 2 Categorical Exclusion is the class of action for this PD&E study.
Purpose and Need
The purpose of this project is to address future projected capacity needs as well as to improve safety conditions within the project area.
The project is needed to improve capacity, safety and system linkage.
Transportation Demand/Capacity
The project is needed to improve the level of service/transportation capacity of Branch Forbes Road. Branch Forbes Road currently operates at an unacceptable Level of Service (LOS) F and is forecasted to continue to operate at LOS F in 2045 without any capacity or operational improvements.
Safety
Between 2015 and 2019 the total number of crashes on Branch Forbes Road within the project area was 183. The historic average crash rate (11.10) for this segment of Branch Forbes Road is considerably higher than the statewide average (0.69) for similar facility types. This high comparative crash rate is likely due to the conflict points at the on- and off-ramps for I-4 and the US 92 intersection. Rear-end crashes (44%) were the predominant crash type, followed by angle crashes (31%), for a combined 75% of the total number of crashes.
System Linkage
The project is needed to support area connectivity and provide a connection between US 92 and I-4, which are both Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) designated evacuation routes that have high volumes of truck traffic. US 92 is major east-west facility that spans the entire state and provides relief for I-4, a Strategic Intermodal System (SIS) facility, during major incidents. US 92 is also an important freight route and exhibits high volumes of trucks.
Existing Facility and Proposed Improvements
Existing Facility
Branch Forbes Road is owned and maintained by Hillsborough County, with the exception of the I-4 interchange and limited access from Glen Harwell to Harvey Tew Road which is maintained by FDOT. Within the project area it is currently a two-lane undivided facility functionally classified as an Urban Major Collector and has a posted speed limit of 35 mph along the majority of the project and 45 mph at the southern and northern termini. The existing lanes vary from 10-foot to 11-foot along the corridor, and there are no paved shoulders with approximately 2-foot to 5-foot unpaved shoulders. The existing Branch Forbes Road within the project limits has no bicycle lanes, sidewalks or other facilities for pedestrians and bicyclists, with the exception of two small segments of sidewalk on the west side of Branch Forbes Road, one north of the US 92 intersection and the other south of I-4.
Proposed Improvements
The project will reconstruct Branch Forbes Road to widen the roadway to accommodate future capacity and multimodal needs including bicycle lanes and sidewalks from south of US 92 to north of I-4, a distance of approximately 0.89 miles. Operational improvements are proposed for the I-4 interchange. The improvements include signalizing the ramp intersections, adding turn lanes, providing access management and providing other safety and operational enhancements. No improvements to the I-4 mainline are included as part of this study.