By 2015, most of the Ulmerton Road Corridor will be a six-lane roadway between Indian Rocks Bridge and I-275, according to the Florida Department of Transportation.

The current construction projects cover about six miles of the roughly 12 miles of the Ulmerton Road Corridor. The roadway, through Largo and parts of Clearwater, connects the beaches with the interstate highway. In addition to widening the road, the state DOT is closing some driveways and medians to make the road safer, said Marian Scorza, Public Information Officer for the FDOT.

"The overall goal is to increase the safety and capacity of Ulmerton Road," Scorza said.

The state DOT hosted an open house recently to raise project awareness and answer questions. Residents could view large graphics and see specific sections of the Ulmerton Road corridor.

"We see the construction everyday from our home on Ulmerton Road. We came to the open house to be able to see the larger maps. It puts a finalization on how it is going to look when the project is done," said Largo resident, Judy Sutherland.

The state DOT has separated the roadway-widening project into several sections. Patch has attached graphics, courtesy of the state DOT, to make the roadway improvements easier to visualize.

Projects to Widen Ulmerton Road

1. From East of 49th Street to West of 38th Street

• Construction Began (anticipated): Summer 2015 (design is underway)
• Construction Cost (estimated): $25,582,142
• Description: Widen Ulmerton Road from four lanes to six lanes
• Closed/Changed Medians: To be determined

2. From East of 119th Street to West of Lake Seminole Bypass Canal

• Construction Began: August 2011
• Construction Completion (anticipated): Fall 2013
• Construction Cost: $16,908,928
• Description: Widen Ulmerton Road from four lanes to six lanes
• Closed Medians: Palm Avenue, Block Drive, Lowe's West Entrance and 10th St. SE
• Changed Medians: Lowe's East Entrance, Ridge Road (west of 113th Ave. S), Railroad Avenue and 117th Street.

3. From the Lake Seminole Bypass Canal to Wild Acres Road

• Construction Began: January 2012
• Construction Completion (anticipated): Summer 2015
• Construction Cost: $9,225,738
• Description: Widen Ulmerton Road from four lanes to six lanes
• Closed Medians: Washington Avenue, Center Avenue, Clay Avenue, Southwind Lane, 90th Rd, and Fountain Way
• Changed Medians: Cheryl Rd., 93rd St. N, and 95th St. N.

4. From East of Wild Acres Road to El Centro/Ranchero Boulevard

• Construction Began: January 2012
• Construction Completion(anticipated): Summer 2015
• Construction Cost: $8,059,537
• Description: Widen Ulmerton Road from four lanes to six lanes
• Closed Medians: 34th Way and Cumberland Road
• Changed Medians: Coral Way, Monterey Lakes and Rose Tree Plaza

Other Ulmerton Road Corridor Improvements

The state is also: adding bicycle lanes, improving a bridge, and creating a new roadway in the Ulmerton Road corridor.

1. From El Centro/Ranchero Boulevard to Automobile Boulevard, Largo

• Construction Starts (anticipated): Summer 2012
• Construction Cost: $27,000
• Description: Install signs and symbols for the bicycle lanes

2. From  38th Street to west of Interstate 275

• Construction Starts (anticipated): Spring 2012 (project is still in the design phase)
• Construction Cost (estimated): $26,456,159
• Description: The existing Roosevelt Boulevard Bridge over Ulmerton Road will be rebuilt. The project includes resurfacing and safety improvements along Ulmerton Road from east of the Roosevelt Boulevard Bridge to Interstate 275. Part of Roosevelt Boulevard will be widened from south of Ulmerton Road to 28th Street.

3. From North of Ulmerton Road to East of 40th Street

• Construction (unfunded): Design is underway
• Construction Cost (estimated): $93,415,000
• Description: Build a new four-lane roadway from Ulmerton Road to east of 40th Street. Part of Roosevelt Boulevard would be modified to accommodate the new roadway.

For Additional Information:

• For active construction projects contact roadwork@dot.state.fl.us
• For Ulmerton Road design projects contact Timothy.Drawhorn@dot.state.fl.us