The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) District Seven is conducting a Project Development and Environment (PD&E) study along US Highway 301 (US 301)/State Road 41 (SR 41) in Manatee and Hillsborough Counties to evaluate alternative roadway improvements along the corridor. The study limits are from north of Moccasin Wallow Road in Manatee County to SR 674 in Hillsborough County, a distance of approximately 10.1 miles.
PD&E Study Purpose/Objective
This PD&E Study will evaluate potential improvements along the corridor, including roadway widening, safety enhancements, pedestrian and bicycle facilities, stormwater management facilities (SMF) and floodplain compensation (FPC) sites, as well as potential bridge improvements.
The objective of this 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 necessary improvements for U.S. 301 to safely and efficiently accommodate future travel demand while minimizing impacts to the environment, considering agency and public comments, and ensuring project compliance with all applicable federal and state laws. It is anticipated that a Type 2 Categorical Exclusion document will be prepared as part of this study. This PD&E Study will document the need for the improvements as well as the procedures utilized to develop and evaluate various improvement alternatives including elements such as proposed typical sections. The anticipated social, physical, and natural environmental effects and costs of these improvements will be identified. The alternatives will be evaluated and compared based on a variety of parameters utilizing a matrix format. This process will assist in identifying the alternative that will best balance the benefits (such as improved traffic operations and safety) with the impacts (such as environmental effects and construction costs).
This PD&E Study will satisfy 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).
Project Description
This project proposes the widening of US 301 from North of Moccasin Wallow Road to SR 674 from the existing two-lane undivided roadway to a multi-lane divided roadway, including bicycle and pedestrian accommodations. The project is located in both Manatee and Hillsborough Counties, traversing the communities of Parrish, Wimauma, and Sun City Center, and is approximately 10.1 miles long. A project location map is provided above.