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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.

UPDATE

Pinellas County held a virtual Project Information meeting on Mar. 16, 2021, via Zoom to share information and answer questions about a County study to evaluate alternatives for the intersection. To watch the recorded meeting, visit the Community Outreach page.

Following the meeting, Pinellas County conducted an online survey to receive public input on the intersection alternatives presented. That feedback is currently being compiled and analyzed and will be presented to the Board of County Commissioners at an upcoming work session.

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.

No Build: maintains the existing Belcher at Gulf to Bay 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.

Expanded Traffic Signal: 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.

Single Point Urban Interchange (SPUI): includes 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.

Median U-Turn: eliminates left turns at the intersection. Drivers that want to make a left turn must drive beyond the intersection to a signalized U-turn.

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+