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Commission reviews options for County Road 250 rebuild after FDOT cost gap; consensus leans to narrower lanes to preserve route length
Summary
County Road 250 redesign is roughly $1.3–$2.0 million short of the design estimate; commissioners discussed options including reduced lane widths and smaller shoulders so the county can complete the full corridor.
Suwannee County commissioners reviewed options Aug. 5 for rebuilding County Road 250 after a preliminary design showed the project exceeded the available grant funding by approximately $1.3 million to $2.0 million, depending on lane‑width choices.
Staff described three options from the Florida Department of Transportation: shorten the project length and keep the originally specified 12‑foot lanes; build the full planned distance with 11‑foot lanes plus a safety edge (which would still leave the county about $1.3 million short); or preserve 12‑foot lanes but reduce the corridor length by roughly 2–2.5 miles (turning a roughly 6‑mile route into about 3.5 miles).
A staff presenter summarized the tradeoffs: larger lane widths (12 feet) increase construction costs and materials and are preferred for semi‑trucks and school buses, while narrower lanes or loss of a two‑foot shoulder reduce cost but lower margin for emergency stops. The presenter said inflation and multi‑year project timing have driven costs up: "by the time we get to the actual work and bidding ... now your cost is up 33%."
FDOT staff told county representatives the state might find roughly $1 million toward the shortfall if the county is willing to drop the two‑foot shoulder, bringing the county’s remaining gap down and making the full‑length project more feasible. County staff said the length differential under discussion is about 3.5 miles versus 5.98 miles, and commissioners discussed whether the county could contribute another $300,000–$400,000 if necessary.
Commissioners did not take a formal vote at the meeting but indicated a preference for completing the full route with a narrowed outside margin rather than cutting the corridor length. Staff said they would continue negotiations with FDOT and report back with final cost estimates and a recommended course of action.
