The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) Visit FDOT’s website, District Seven is conducting an Alternative Corridor Evaluation (ACE) Study to determine potential alignments for the extension of SR 56 from US 301/SR 41 to US 98/SR 35/SR 700 in Pasco County, Florida.
The study area, shown on the map below, is generally bounded by just south of the Pasco/Hillsborough County Line on the south, CR 54 on the north, US 301/SR 41 on the west and US 98/SR 35/SR 700 on the east. SR 56 is a major east-west arterial that serves both local and regional traffic from SR 54 to US 301/SR 41, for a length of approximately 13 miles. The portion of SR 56 from SR 54 to Meadow Pointe Boulevard is a six-lane divided roadway and is functionally classified as an urban principal arterial. The segment of SR 56 from Meadow Pointe Boulevard to US 301/SR 41 was recently opened to traffic and provides a new four-lane divided roadway with a ten-foot wide multi-use trail (south side), a five-foot sidewalk (north side), and seven-foot bicycle lanes on the shoulders in each direction.
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The study, which began in June 2019, is expected to continue for approximately 16 months and will include technical work and data analysis, along with various opportunities for the public to be involved in defining which corridors will move forward beyond the ACE process for further evaluation in the Project Development and Environment (PD&E) Study.
Project Purpose and Need
Purpose:
The purpose of the project is to provide the extension of an east-west route through Pasco County connecting to US 98/SR 35/SR 700 that would allow regional traffic to bypass the City of Zephyrhills.
Need:
System Linkage
SR 54/56 is a principal arterial that spans a large portion of Pasco County providing an important east-west route. In addition to SR 52, it is one of only two continuous east-west connections within the County. It also links to important regional north-south facilities such as US 19, SR 589 (Suncoast Parkway), US 41, and I-75. It connects to US 19 in western Pasco County, just south of New Port Richey, and to US 301/SR 41 south of the City of Zephyrhills. The Pasco County MPO is completing an initiative called Vision 54/56 which is a study designed to define a transportation vision for the future of the SR 54/56 corridor from US 19 to Bruce B. Downs Boulevard. This project will provide a direct connection to US 98/SR 35/SR 700 and create a needed regional east-west facility in Pasco County.