What Happened Yesterday Morning on 9-Mile Road?

A signalization malfunction led to unnecessary gridlock during the morning commute on 9-Mile Road this week.  The state's contractor has addressed and corrected the malfunction.

Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of this week there was something amiss on 9-Mile Road which was causing a backup all the way down 9-Mile Road to the west as far as Leisure Lakes RV park.

Friday morning it came to a head as folks could not even exit their subdivisions to make a right hand turn onto 9-Mile Road to head toward the interstate.



The choke point was the light at Heritage Oaks and Saltgrass.  It was improperly holding East and West-bound traffic due to a malfunctioning sensor on the smart grid software that was holding the green light north and south between Heritage Oaks and Saltgrass--even when cars were not at that light..  I notified staff and asked for immediate attention to the matter.

This condition was infuriating to drivers but the situation has been addressed as of Friday--and the lights are once again functioning properly.  From an email string resolving this malfunction from yesterday afternoon:

"For an unknown reason Gridsmart detection is activating at the side street, Saltgrass Drive, and no vehicle is present.  Operationally, Nine Mile Road and Heritage Oaks will have a red light and no one will be leaving Saltgrass Drive.  The light for Saltgrass will be green for 10 seconds.  This is an issue that does not normally occur...I have monitored for the past couple hours and it appears to be working.  I sent Gridsmart and Ingram the Diagnostic logs"

Thanks go out to the County's engineering staff and FDOT's signalization contractor for getting the situation resolved.

ABOUT THE STATE DOT's  9-MILE ROAD WIDENING PROJECT....

The section of FDOT's 9-Mile Road from I-10 to Beulah Road project was slated for completion by the end of this month--however the state has recently informed us all that unfortunately once again a completion timeframe has slipped and that now this segment from Navy Federal Way to Beulah Road will be done by "Late Summer" 2020.  I know this has been a nightmare, but I want all citizens to know we have been pushing this project, to get it done.  The county, NFCU, the state--all of us.  Pushing.  Unfortunately it is just dragging on and on and the completion date has slipped again.

But it is coming, and once complete it will GREATLY assist in the traffic flow east and west through Beulah.  And looking forward-once we complete the PD&E study for the Beulah Interchange, we will begin pressing hard for that project to get construction funding in the state's FDOT 5-year work program.  That project, once completed, will reduce East-West traffic on 9-mile road in Beulah by as much as 40%----as the Western portion of Beulah will have a closer option for accessing I-10 and thereby bypassing the NFCU campus and whatever is ultimately developed on the county's OLF 8 site.

Is Now the Right Time to Discuss an Overpass Connecting Devine Farm Road with Frank Reeder Road?

With tremendous growth occurring along and all around both Frank Reeder Road and Devine Farm Road--and with two interchange projects being planned in the area--is now the right time to discuss an overpass between these two county roads to provide another east-west artery for NFCU, OLF 8, and this growing area of the county?

At last night's FDOT meeting regarding I-10 widening and interchange reconfigurations, an interesting side-bar conversation happened between several folks in attendance regarding Devine Farm Road and Frank Reeder Road.  Currently, as shown in the map above--both of these roads dead-end right into the Interstate just southeast of the I-10 Weigh Station complex. 

With explosive growth all around both of these roads, with a tremendous need for more east-west connectivity in this area of the county, with NFCU expanding, with OLF 8 set for development, and with two separate FDOT studies underway currently for three area interchanges--is now the right time to discuss an overpass connectiong Devine Farm Road in District 5 with Frank Reeder Road in District 1?

This is just a rhetorical question at the moment--and a lot of upgrades would have to be made to both roads before such an idea could be seriously considered.  Also, Commissioner Barry in D5 would certainly have a big say in this--as would I as the D1 commissioner.  Residents, I am sure, would also have a lot to say about this and I am certain there would be significant push back from some.

But I do think it is worth having a discussion--given all the growth that is not only out there now, but coming in the years ahead.  It's certainly something to consider if all concerns can be addressed and it could be done cost-effectively.

This Picture Would Have Been Very Helpful..................Yesterday When FDOT's Press Release Dropped

Apparently, according to a news bulletin put out late yesterday and this article in the PNJ--Westbound access to 9-Mile Road from exit 5 (Beulah) will be closed for construction for up to the next 3 Months.

At least that's what this press release, below, intimates.

If such a plan would have in any way affected travellers heading westbound on I-10 exiting on exit 5 and intending to travel west on 9-Mile Road toward Beulah----such a plan would have been a disaster of epic proportion.

Unfortunately--the late afternoon news release without a map was not clear to many readers.

After emailing the entire world this morning and asking for clarification--I received the below diagram

Illustrating what is actually going to be closed.  If this is what is going to be modified, the impacts will be a lot less severe.   A lot less severe.....

Too bad they didn't add this picture with yesterday's press release.... a lot of folks would not have gone through a lot of stress and anxiety.

Glad to see there will be no diminution of the traffic exiting from I-10 Westbound on to Exit 5 (Heading up the hill to Beulah and NFCU's Campus)