Right of way on SW 10th Street cleared

By John M. Ayers

A ‘Road Closed’ sign at the entrance of SW 10th Street continues to temporarily meet drivers traveling in northwest Gilchrist County.
The Gilchrist County commissioners have workers from the Gilchrist County Department of Transportation preparing the right of way for future road improvement.

The Gilchrist County Commission has been working for years to acquire right of way to widen southwest 10th street from CR 341 east to US 129. The western portion of this grade was previously 25 feet wide. Gilchrist County Department of Transportation workers have been working for several weeks now to widen this right of way to 80 feet.
The County Commission has discussed that SW 10th Street from CR 341 to US 129, an estimated three miles of graded road, would meet the SCOP guidelines set by the Department of Transportation as a SCOP project. FDOT requested Gilchrist County identify and rank two roads in the county that meet the program guidelines for consideration of funding for future road improvements.

A trackhoe is shown removing a large oak tree from the right of way. The operator, Pat Parrish,
utilizes this machine’s capabilities to lift and push the stump out of the ground.

The Gilchrist County Transportation Department, through the direction of Superintendent Billy Cannon, has taken on the project of widening the right of way for further improvements to this road. Cannon explained that Central Florida Electric Cooperative has been very supportive in having large tree limbs removed from the trees on the north side of the right of way. The tree trimming crews have worked diligently with county heavy equipment operators to remove the limbs in along the electric power lines. When the limbs are removed from the trees, the trackhoe operator pushes the trunk down and pulls it from the dirt. The county crew then cuts the trunk from the stump and the remaining tops of the trees before the oak trees are piled for removal.
The Gilchrist County Transportation Department will be finishing up the removal of the large trees on the western portion of the right of way soon. Cannon reported the large oak trees will be removed from the right of way and the county will receive $4,000 for the wood. The revenue will be entered into the Transportation Department’s budget.
John Lambert, Gilchrist County forester with the Florida Division of Forestry, attended the March 7 commission meeting to discuss the burning of the remaining wood material and stumps on the right of way with the commission. The forester explained that the county could burn the piles if the portion of the right of way was completely closed to through traffic. Cannon reported the county will be scheduling the burning of the piles in April in cooperation with the Division of Forestry.