By Terry Witt – Spotlight Senior Reporter

            In a suburb of Orlando named Ocoee, headquarters of the Florida Turnpike Enterprise, the state’s toll road agency is mapping out two projects that could change Levy County from a forested, farm-rich area of the state to a place of noisy, high-speed highways just like south Florida.

            The Northern Turnpike Extension project has drawn the most attention because it would cut a four-lane toll road through Levy County and funnel toll road traffic west from Wildwood to Levy County and then north to Madison County and probably connect to Interstate-10.

            A second project, Suncoast Parkway 2, has a lower profile. It would provide a toll road connector between the original Suncoast Parkway toll road and U.S. 19 at Red Level in Citrus County. Toll road traffic could then run north on U.S. 19 to Inglis, Chiefland, Fanning Springs, and beyond.

            The Florida Turnpike Extension and Suncoast Parkway 2 are active projects of the Florida Turnpike Enterprise.

            Senator’s Letter Spurs Questions

            Discussion of toll road traffic being added to U.S. 19 surfaced when State Sen. Jennifer Bradley wrote a letter to the Levy County Commission on March 31 touting all the state-funded projects she and State. Rep. Joe Harding herded through the Florida Legislature this spring, including $27.4 million for arterial corridor development on U.S. 19.

            The term arterial corridor development wasn’t exactly a household phrase in Levy County at the time and still isn’t. The internet says arterial corridors are often developed on high-speed highways, such as freeways or toll roads, to smooth traffic flow and make the highway safer for travelers.

            The letter from Bradley didn’t explain why the Legislature set aside $27.4 million in state funding to engineer and acquire land for arterial corridors along U.S. 19 but it was a red flag for anyone interested in the toll roads that might run through Levy County.

            Toll Road Questions

            Spotlight asked the Florida Department of Transportation, parent agency of the Florida Turnpike Enterprise, if DOT was preparing for the day when the Suncoast Parkway toll road is connected to U.S. 19 by acquiring land along U.S. 19 for arterial corridor development.

“Yes, as the plan for the Suncoast has been approved since 1998 with the connection to U.S. 19 at Red Level, any additional traffic volumes generated due to this connection will be used in planning for improvements for future arterial corridor development,” said Tracy Hisler-Pace, spokeswoman for the Florida Department of Transportation.

             U.S. 19 is a free highway and must remain free under state law. It can’t be turned into a toll road. But the additional traffic from Suncoast Parkway 2 could force construction of bypasses around cities like Chiefland, Inglis, and Fanning Springs. DOT has acknowledged bypasses are possible, but the agency says it isn’t far enough along in the U.S. 19 Project Development and Engineering study for smoothing traffic on the highway to know whether bypasses would be constructed.

            Mixed Messaging  

            One of the challenges for the public in understanding what’s really going on with U.S. 19 is the fact that two state agencies have different roles in planning the future of the highway. The Florida Turnpike Enterprise is in charge of engineering and planning for the future Suncoast 2 connection between Suncoast Parkway and U.S. 19 at Red Level, and the Florida Department of Transportation is in charge of smoothing traffic flow on U.S. 19 once Suncoast 2 is constructed. The turnpike agency is a part of DOT but the agencies don’t communicate with a single voice when it comes to U.S. 19. Some Levy County residents feel this is being done intentionally to confuse the public.

            Northern Turnpike Hostility

            The Northern Turnpike Extension is the better known of the two toll road projects that may impact Levy County. It has generated considerably more emotion. Levy County residents say they feel like they have been targeted by DOT in light of the fact that most of the proposed routes for the turnpike extension go through Levy County. Many complain that the proposed toll road is being shoved down their throats and they don’t like it.

            When William Burke, the Florida Turnpike Enterprise project engineer for the Northern Turnpike Extension, made an appearance before the Levy County Commission Tuesday he wasn’t ridiculed or mocked by anyone, but commissioners made it clear they have questions about why the toll road appears to be going through Levy County.

            “Very Loud in Levy County”

            “There seems to be quite of bit of opposition here in this community for this project,” said Commissioner John Meeks. “Are you seeing this everywhere or are there routes that people are not opposed to, or you’re not getting as much feedback, or is there a kind of general reluctance – we don’t want it?” Meeks asked.

            “We realize that overall, there’s no question of that,” Burke responded. “It is very loud in Levy County for sure, but overall, we are getting feedback throughout the study area.”

            Commissioner Lilly Rooks said she met with Burke recently and she asked him if building the Northern Turnpike Extension through Marion County was possible, and she said Burke told her, “It’s not on the table.” She asked if the agency was looking at Marion County.

            “The four counties originally in the study area are still ln the study area and that’s Levy, Marion, Citrus, and Sumter,” Burke responded.

            “Is there a proposed route through Marion County?” asked Commission Chairman Rock Meeks.

            “Two of the border routes do traverse Marion. Actually, the central route passes through the very southwest corner of Marion. Three of them touch Marion,” Burke said.

            Burke was asked by a Spotlight reporter why Maria Wise, a resident of the Steeplechase area of Levy County, had trouble contacting him?

            “If it’s media, sir, they have to go through our media group and I know she has been in touch with Angela Starke, the Florida Turnpike communications director,” Burke responded.

            “Is she considered media?” the reporter asked.

            “Yes,” Burke responded.

            “She puts out a newsletter. Is that why she’s considered media?” the reporter asked.

            “She’s identified as media. That’s why we have to follow that protocol,” Burke said.

            Burke indicated that the four potential routes for the Northern Turnpike Extension probably won’t be narrowed to one route for about a year. In the meantime, the agency will continue reaching out to community groups for their input.

List of Arterial Corridor Development Projects for US19/98

• U.S. 19/98 – arterial corridor development from Levy County line to State Road 24, preliminary engineering consultants $ 7 million
• U.S. 19/98 – arterial corridor development from State Road 24 to County Road 347 preliminary engineering consultants $6 million
• U.S. 19/98 – Young Boulevard arterial corridor development from County Road 347 to County Road 341 preliminary engineering consultants $5.4 million
• U.S. 19/98 – arterial corridor development from Levy County Line to State Road 24 right-of-way land acquisition $2 million
• U.S. 19/98 – arterial corridor development from State Road 24 to County Road 347 right-of-way land acquisition $2 million
• U.S. 19/98 – Young Boulevard arterial corridor development from County Road 347 to County Road 341 right-of-way land acquisition $1 million
• U.S. 19/98 – arterial corridor development from Levy County Line to State Road 24 $2 million
• U.S. 19/98 – arterial corridor development from State Road 24 to County Road 347 $1 million
• U.S. 19/98 – arterial corridor development from County Road 347 to County Road 341 $1 million.

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Board of County Commission Regular Meeting May 3, 2022; Posted May 8, 2022