The Florida Department of Transportation is developing its long range plan for the portion of the Interstate 75 corridor that stretches from the Florida-Georgia state line south to the Alachua-Marion County line, just south of Micanopy. The first of three planned public hearings seeking input on where improvements are needed along the roadway was held in Gainesville on July 17.

FDOT?officials held the meeting at the Best Western Gateway Grand located on NW 97th St., just west of the NW 39th Ave. exit on I-75. No formal presentation was unveiled at the meeting, but FDOT?project personnel were on hand to answer questions and several large maps were displayed for citizens to point out areas they feel need improvements.

“We’ve counted some cars and we have maps, but we need your input,” FDOT project co-manager Jordan Green said. “Every 20 years, we conduct a master plan study of the corridors. The last one was in 1988, but that was for the whole state.”

The Interstate Master Plan Study will identify potential improvements along the road through Alachua, Columbia, Suwannee and Hamilton counties, with the goal of better serving the travel needs of residents and freight, encouraging economic growth and development and decreasing travel related to fuel consumption and air pollution.

The improvements with the most potential to affect this newspaper’s distribution area include the interchange Operational Analysis and the possible alternatives that could be presented to increase mobility, while minimizing impacts to the environment and surrounding communities. The I-75 Master Plan Study also will seek to coordinate with other ongoing projects that would effect the I-75 corridor.

In terms of Gainesville-area traffic, FDOT has found that there are 57,900 daily trips between Micanopy and the Williston Rd. exit, 67,300 trips between Williston and Archer roads, 80,600 trips between Archer and Newberry roads and 73,100 between Newberry Rd. and NW 39th Ave. As you travel further north, the number of cars drops to 54,300 between Gainesville’s northernmost exit and the U.S. 441 exit in the city of Alachua, which illustrates how Gainesville area residents are using the interstate for in-town driving. Therefore, several suggestions were made to find alternative routes that run parallel to I-75 or to push for an alternative mode of transportation, such as light or heavy rail, that would take additional traffic off of I-75.

The FDOT is taking a three-tiered approach to developing the new Master Plan. The first tier will feature analysis of the travel lanes by looking at the number type and configuration of the lanes. The second tier will focus on the interchanges, with special attention being paid to the number, location and configuration of the interchanges.

FDOT?officials plan to hold two more public meetings regarding the Master Plan Study during the first half of 2008.

If you would like to submit a comment to FDOT, you can visit www.i75northflorida.com, call project manager Jordan Green at (386)961-7596 or address any letters to Florida Department of Transportation, 1109 S. Marion Ave, MS 2014, Lake City, FL 32025-5874.