BY TRACY LEE TATE
Special to the Times
The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) has been generous with Union County. Over the years FDOT, through both its SCRAP and SCOP grant programs have paved, repaved or otherwise repaired several hundred miles of Union County roads and bridges. As a financially constrained county, Union needs this help to ensure the safety and welfare of its citizens.
There are four projects currently approved and underway in the county, two still in the design phase of the project, one with the design completed and one underway now.
The CR-18 project is underway, being accomplished by Anderson-Columbia, the contractor who was selected based on their bid for the project. The project is the second largest of the four projects, running from SR-121 to the Columbia County line, a distance of 6.4 miles. This project experienced some delays getting started due to wetlands issues, which required approval from the Army Corps of Engineers to obtain the necessary permitting. The project calls for the expansion of the two travel lanes by two feet each and the widening of the shoulder from four to eight feet in width. The surface will be milled and repaved, with any drainage issues addressed.
The CR-238N project is the largest of the approved four projects and is still in the design phase of the process. Work will run from 111th Way to CR-229, a distance of 7.5 miles. The surface will be milled and repaved and any drainage issues will be corrected.
The design for SW 92nd Way is complete and the project will be put out for bids soon. Again, the grant calls for milling and repaving, as well as repair of drainage issues.
The final of the four projects is NW 89th Ave. This project is still in the design phase and will also be milled and repaved with any drainage issues addressed.
The county has five other projects requested from FDOT, but none of these have yet been approved. Originally submitted in 2024 they have been rolled over to 2025. If they are approved or not will depend on the available funding. FDOT, which assists a number of small counties in the state, will have to decide which projects, from those submitted by these counties, will be funded this year. There are no guarantees that any of them will be funded, although those which present the greatest safety hazard to residents are usually at the top of the list.
