Pinellas County details Phase 3 plan to widen Forest Lakes Boulevard, add shared-use path

Pinellas County officials outlined design and schedule details for Phase 3 of the Forest Lakes Boulevard Roadway Improvements Project at a virtual public information meeting, proposing to widen the corridor between Tampa Road and State Road 580, add pedestrian and bicycle facilities and make drainage and utility upgrades.

“This project represents the third and final phase of a project that will widen Forest Lakes Boulevard from Race Track Road to State Road 580,” said Mona Gabriel, capital improvements division director for Pinellas County, introducing the meeting. Consultant project manager Brian Anderson of WSP said the county completed a preliminary engineering report in 2023 and is now in the design phase.

County staff said the project responds to projected traffic growth and pedestrian demand. The preliminary engineering report (PER) found a projected 40% increase in traffic from current levels and documented five years of crash data (Feb. 2015–Feb. 2019) showing 349 vehicle crashes and 10 pedestrian or bicyclist crashes with no fatalities in that period.

Under the proposed concept, Forest Lakes Boulevard would be widened from two lanes to four lanes with a center two-way left-turn lane. Outside travel lanes would be 11 feet, the inside travel lanes 10 feet, and the center two-way left-turn lane 11 feet, the team said. The plan adds a 10-foot shared-use path on the west side of the roadway with a 4-foot buffer to the back of curb, and includes a pedestrian mid-block crossing near Derrick Lane and an additional left-turn lane from State Road 580 eastbound to northbound onto Forest Lakes Boulevard.

The project would replace open roadside drainage ditches on the east side with closed storm pipe and collection inlets; project graphics indicate proposed stormwater management features intended to improve runoff water quality before it reaches Tampa Bay. Brian Anderson, WSP project manager and engineer of record, said utility owners commonly use large projects to upgrade buried infrastructure, and the county is coordinating planned work by the City of St. Petersburg to reconstruct a 36-inch potable water main along the west side of Forest Lakes Boulevard.

Right-of-way acquisition is already underway on the west side, county staff said. Staff said the closest edge-to-edge distance between the proposed multiuse path and the nearest apartment concrete sidewalk will be about 27 feet; landscaping and grass are planned to provide a buffer. County staff confirmed they are coordinating directly with property owners, including the Aventine apartment complex, during the acquisition process.

The design includes operational changes to some access points. For Forest Lakes Plaza (Aldi/Ross), the consultant said the current northbound front entrance will be closed by extending a concrete separator; drivers would enter the plaza via a rear entrance or by making a U-turn at a designated point. County staff repeated that access to businesses and driveways would remain open during construction and that planned closures would primarily occur at night when necessary.

Construction is currently estimated to last 1½ to 2 years for the construction phase. The county’s schedule presented at the meeting shows design and right-of-way phases continuing through late 2027, regulatory permitting beginning in spring (current year), construction starting in late 2028 and construction completion expected in fall 2030. Brian Anderson said the county will hold another public meeting before construction begins to present a detailed maintenance-of-traffic plan.

On traffic management, Tom Washburn, transportation division director, said the county’s traffic management center monitors signalized intersections and will adjust signal timing during construction phases as needed to respond to changed traffic patterns. Joan Rice, multimodal safety engineer, joined the panel to address safety- and bicycle-related questions; staff stressed the shared-use path will connect to the existing Oldsmar Trail and that bicycle access will be via the shared path rather than a painted bike lane on the roadway.

Funding for the project was identified as the county’s Penny for Pinellas Fund and the Florida Department of Transportation. For project information, staff directed residents to project manager John Carpenter (jcarpent@pinellas.gov; (727) 453-3350) and to the project website at pinellas.gov/projects/forest-lakes, where presentation materials and a comment card link will be posted.

During the public Q&A, residents asked about access changes at Forest Lakes Plaza, lane shifts near the Aldi and Aventine apartments, noise and proximity to residences, and whether the speed limit would change; staff said the posted speed limit would remain unchanged and reiterated plans for buffers, coordination with apartment management, and early communication with affected property owners about closures. Staff also said they would consider additional signing or other treatments at the Tampa Road right-turn/U-turn locations based on public feedback and further field review.