Belcher Road at Gulf to Bay Intersection Project Status
A project status update was presented during the July 16, 2020, Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners Virtual Regular Meeting. The Board authorized staff to hold a Virtual Project Information Meeting for residents.
Alternatives Evaluated
The study will consider impacts associated with various intersection improvement alternatives to address existing operational and safety issues.
The following alternatives were presented to the public in March 2021.
No Build
The No Build alternative maintains the existing intersection with no improvements.
Expanded Traffic Signal
The Expanded Traffic Signal alternative adds dual left-turn lanes and single right-turn lanes at each leg of the intersection.
Single Point Urban Interchange (SPUI)
The Single Point Urban Interchange (SPUI) alternative includes the construction of a bridge that carries Gulf to Bay Boulevard over Belcher Road.
Median U-Turn
The Median U-Turn alternative eliminates left turns at the intersection. Drivers who want to make a left turn must drive beyond the intersection to a signalized U-turn. A demonstration video helps to explain the median U-turn alternative.
Evaluation and Potential Impacts
The following tables summarize the evaluation and show the potential impacts of the alternatives evaluated.
Potential Right-of-Way Needs
Factors | No Build | Signal | SPUI |
Median
U-Turn
|
---|---|---|---|---|
Number of Business Parcels Impacted | 0 | 2 | 8 | 2 |
Number of Residential Parcels Impacted | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Total Right-of-Way (Acres) | 0 | 3.38 | 7.98 | 1.83 |
Potential Impacts to Community Facilities
Factors | No Build | Signal | SPUI |
Median
U-Turn
|
---|---|---|---|---|
Churches, schools, medical facilities, etc. | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
Potential Hazardous and Contaminated Sites
Factors | No Build | Signal | SPUI |
Median
U-Turn
|
---|---|---|---|---|
Number of sites impacted | 0 | 11 | 14 | 7 |
Potential Safety Improvement
Factors | No Build | Signal | SPUI |
Median
U-Turn
|
---|---|---|---|---|
Safety improvement | Low | Medium | High | Medium |
Construction and Right-of-Way Costs
Factors | No Build | Signal | SPUI |
Median
U-Turn
|
---|---|---|---|---|
Construction and Right-of-Way Costs | 0 | $15-18M | $80M+ | $13.5+ |