- A major road project connecting Tallahassee and Crawfordville is running behind scheduled.
- The project is also running over budget.
- Watch the video above to hear from FDOT about the challenges and why comes next.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
A road project here along Crawfordville Highway is now over budget and behind schedule. I’m Kenzie Krueger, your neighborhood reporter in Crawfordville. I went to Florida Department of Transportation to find out the reason for the delay and how it will impact you.
Neighbors are wondering about the US 319 widening project that’s behind schedule.“Why are they not working? Why are they not finishing it?” People who drive down this road every day, like Mickey Abernathy, want updates. He says he’s often backed up in traffic while traveling down the road
“It’s terrible, backed up. When it’s rush hour it’s just unreal. You’ll be backed up past Walmart all the way going to Tallahassee.”
The project is now 20 percent behind schedule and over budget. The original cost was $25.58 million dollars, and it will now cost $25.8 million.
I went to FDOT for answers.
Ian Satter the Communications Public Information Director for FDOT, District Three said the project was delayed because of weather. He said the project will be done later in 2024, so I asked, “I know you said the later part of 2024, but do you know a specific timeline?”
He responded, “we don’t really have specific dates as to when we will finish projects, we have to look at the number of project days that remain and different activities like weather days, so what we can do is kind of forecasted general time period during the year that we can finish up, but to have a specific time it’s a little hard to pinpoint at this juncture.”
I also asked him about the 20 percent budget increase and how it will be covered. He said they’re working with the developers to figure out what costs are necessary and look at current market conditions when making adjustments. I asked him if this increase will impact tax payers.
He told me, “the projects come out of the state budget for FDOT." He also added, "we look at the budget that we have for contingencies and other things and we work with our contractors to try to make sure that we’re getting the lowest cost possible so that tax payers aren’t effected negatively as we move forward.”
Others, like Abernathy who has lived in Crawfordville for over 20 years, are ready for the road work to be over.
“I want to see it finished.”
FDOT says they will be giving regular updates on the progress of the project to Wakulla County Commissioners and the public.
