PASCO COUNTY, Fla. — Drivers in Pasco County have been dealing with traffic jams at the intersection of I-75 and SR-56 for years. Its why leaders with the Florida Department of Transportation are putting a diverging diamond interchange there to make your drive easier.
The $33 million project is expected ease traffic for drivers through Lutz and Wesley Chapel in Pasco County.
Work began in January of 2019. This summer it came to a halt.
The problem is the project has hit a roadblock. The contractor originally hired to do the work, DAB contractors, fell so far behind FDOT said it wasn’t meeting the standards of the agreement. FDOT is now in the process of securing a new contractor.
In an area bustling with growth, road improvements through this area of Pasco are needed.
Benefits of the diverging diamond include minimizing contact points between cars traveling in opposite directions and eliminating left turns crossing over traffic. Reducing delays and and making crashes less common are also goals.
For now, until there’s a new contractor, there’s no timeline for when the project will be done.