Manatee County improves Edgewater traffic light design

LAKEWOOD RANCH — As Manatee County proceeds with design and construction of a traffic signal at University Parkway and Waterview Boulevard — the entrance to the Edgewater community — staff is working to correct a design problem.

The adjustment will mean a roughly two-month delay in the project, but improved safety overall, Project Manager Brent Morris said.

“The plans looked pretty good, however, we noticed some alignment issues with the turn signals and with the reconditioned medians we are going to have on University Parkway,” Morris said, noting HDR, the engineering firm of record, turned in 75% complete plans by the June 25 deadline.

Vehicles opposite each other trying to make left-hand turns could have had line-of-sight issues under the original design.

“You want those cars offset a little bit, so they can see the oncoming traffic, and there’s no accidents,” Morris said.

“It wasn’t really considered in the original scope (of work),” Morris said. “But, with the new alignment and the traffic study done, it was recognized this could be a potential problem. Rather than go forward, we’d rather take a step back and get the right distance and then go forward in the project. That’s really where we are at right now.”

Morris said HDR has received the county’s comments on the design and will meet this week to discuss potential scope changes and their financial impact.

Morris expected the changes would cost up to about $5,000, compared with more than $50,000 if the county waited to make the change during construction.

The minimum total cost of the project is $265,000, Morris said.

Morris said he hopes to have the complete project design finished by mid-November. The bid process likely would start in February, with construction likely starting sometime in late spring or early summer 2015.

Construction itself will take between 120 and 180 days.

Contact Pam Eubanks at [email protected].