Hillsborough County plans major traffic relief projects for growing Lithia, Riverview communities

Multi-million dollar Hillsborough traffic projects

Hillsborough County is planning hundreds of millions of dollars in road improvement projects, including upgrades at Lithia Pinecrest Road and State Road 39. FOX 13's Jennifer Kveglis reports.

FISHHAWK, Fla. - Traffic headaches are becoming part of the daily routine for many drivers in southern Hillsborough County, especially along Lithia Pinecrest Road in the growing FishHawk area.

Residents say congestion has steadily worsened over the years as more families move into the community, leading to long backups, safety concerns and carefully timed commutes around school traffic. County leaders say relief is coming through several large-scale transportation projects now in the planning stages.

The backstory:

Hillsborough County officials are planning a $249 million improvement project at the intersection of Lithia Pinecrest Road and State Road 39, one of the busiest intersections in the area.

The project includes:

• Dual left-turn lanes on both Lithia Pinecrest Road approaches
• Single left-turn lanes on County Road 39 approaches
• Single right-turn lanes on all four approaches

County officials say the upgrades are needed to handle continued population growth in the southern area of the county.

What they're saying:

Lithia resident Jim Gaffney says traffic conditions have become increasingly difficult during his 7-mile commute from Lithia to Valrico.

Gaffney says he now plans his travels around peak traffic times.

"Specific to when the elementary school's car line starts, when the middle school line starts and when the elementary schools [start]," Gaffney said.

FishHawk resident Lisa Fevola says traffic backups have also created safety concerns.

"What's going through my mind is, ‘Oh my God, I hope somebody doesn't hit me in the back,’" Fevola said. "That's already happened where somebody is not paying attention, looking at their phone."

What's next:

Because the major intersection project requires land acquisition, construction is not expected to begin until 2031.

In the meantime, Hillsborough County is proposing a $450,000 short-term improvement project that would:

• Add a northbound left-turn lane on County Road 39.
• Extend the southbound right-turn lane approaching the intersection.

Residents can submit feedback through the county’s online public engagement form through Tuesday of next week.

Further south, Hillsborough County is also planning to widen Big Bend Road from U.S. 41 to Covington Garden Drive from a four-lane rural roadway into a six-lane urban corridor.

An in-person public engagement meeting for that project is scheduled for Thursday at 6 p.m. at Eisenhower Middle School.

Why you should care:

South Hillsborough County continues to see rapid residential growth, especially in communities like FishHawk and Riverview. County leaders say transportation improvements are critical to reducing congestion, improving safety and keeping up with the area’s expanding population.