Project Details
The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) District One has prioritized improvements to State Road 70, an east-west corridor, through several counties totaling 11-miles.
Challenges and Solutions
• Statewide prioritization of SR 70 projects – working with OEM on advanced project schedule.
• The corridor is located within an area of highly sensitive habitats in the state including the Lake Wales Ridge Wildlife and Environmental Area and Archbold Biological Station.
• The project corridor is constrained by a natural gas pipeline to the south and National Resources Conservation Service Wetland Reserve Program conservation easements and high voltage overhead power lines to the north.
• Numerous protected species survey schedules to manage.
• Formal consultation with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Service
PD&E Study
County
Highlands County, Florida
Project Highlights
Species specific surveys including sand and blue-tailed skink coverboard surveys, black rail call-response surveys, Florida grasshopper call-response surveys, caracara surveys, Florida bonneted bay full acoustic and roost surveys, bald eagle nest surveys, Everglade snail kite surveys, Southeastern Wetland assessments and UMAM analysis
Completion of Natural Resource Evaluation with formal consultation expected with U.S Fish kestrel surveys, gopher tortoise surveys and state / federal plant surveys and Wildlife Service
Widening SR 70 from two to four lanes with stormwater facilities
Consultation with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Acquisition and Restoration Council (ARC) coordination and mitigation determination
