The I-75 Relief Task Force is completing its work and preparing to submit a report to Florida Department of Transportation Secretary Jim Boxold.
A seventh workshop meeting will be held Friday at the Southeastern Livestock Pavilion in Ocala.
“Hopefully, we’ll come out of that with some good recommendations and DOT will get some good input,” said Garry Breeden, Sumter County Board chairman who represents the county on the task force.
Breeden and County Administrator Bradley Arnold briefed the board on the latest task force developments at Tuesday’s meeting.
With 21 members, the task force was convened last October to develop recommendations for improving transportation and developing new corridors between Tampa Bay and Jacksonville. The task force held its fourth meeting in The Villages last April.
Crash rates on I-75 are higher than on similar roadways and traffic congestion often occurs on weekends and during certain seasons instead of daily rush hours.
Tentative recommendations call for major improvements to both I-75 and U.S. 301, which often serves as an alternative route to the interstate.
Interchange improvements, auxiliary lanes to connect closely spaced interchanges, express lanes to bypass congestion in general purpose lanes and truck-only lanes are among the I-75 options.
Safety improvements could include service patrols, traveler information such as dynamic message signs and fog detection systems along with optimizing traffic signals.
The draft report also suggests that the state and local governments develop a 50-year built-out concept for I-75 that would prioritize improvements for funding.
On U.S. 301, suggestions include grade separation at intersections, additional general purpose lanes and better communication with users.
The draft report also calls for encouraging intercity bus and rail connections between Tampa and Jacksonville. Most of these connections now occur through Orlando.
West of I-75, the function of U.S. 41 would be preserved for inter-county travel between Tampa and northern Florida, although the two-lane roadway probably would not be widened due to the impact on local communities and environmental resources, according to the draft report.
But the task force also may recommend construction of a reliever roadway west of I-75, possibly connecting the Suncoast Parkway, which ends at State Road 44, with the interstate to the north.
