Moccasin Wallow Road needs upgrades. Legislature approves $3 million for construction

County officials are one step closer to widening a section of Moccasin Wallow Road in Parrish.

A state committee met over the weekend, as part of Florida’s annual budget negotiations. The House and Senate agreed to spend $3 million on the expansion of Moccasin Wallow Road, a state budget item that faces approval by Gov. Ron DeSantis later this year.

The project will expand a 1.4-mile stretch of Moccasin Wallow, from 115th Avenue East to U.S. 301, upgrading it from two lanes to a four-lane divided roadway.

Along with additional lanes, the project includes bike lanes and sidewalks, according to the funding request.

“The roadway expansion would improve traffic operations, alleviate congestion on state roads, and serve as a hurricane evacuation route connecting communities, educational facilities, and major employers like Port Manatee, which annually contributes $2.3 billion regionally,” the request states.

The stretch of road borders new developments in the burgeoning Parrish community, including Barbara Harvey Elementary School, which opened last August.

Moccasin Wallow Road also cuts through North River Ranch, a master-planned community by Neal Land and Neighborhoods. The 20-year project is expected to bring 6,000 new homes to the area, and it seems the development is outgrowing Moccasin Wallow, a country road nestled between farmland and wooded areas.

Pat Neal, a prominent developer and former state senator, is eager to see the extension underway. He attended a Board of County Commissioners meeting last April, pitching the idea for road improvements and a cost-saving partnership between the county and his company.

“The full capacity of Neal is working to solve the problem,” he said at the time.

In its request for state funds, the county said it would contribute $3 million to the project, bringing the project budget to at least $6 million for the 2020-2021 Fiscal Year.

Money will go toward a corridor analysis, designs, engineering, environmental planning and construction supervision, according to the request.

“Just because we have the money doesn’t mean pavement is going down for Moccasin Wallow,” said Priscilla Whisenant Trace, the county commissioner who represents Parrish. “Pavement is still a long way from being laid.”

Manatee County is also working on a $30 million project to expand a 1.9-mile stretch of Moccasin Wallow Road, from Interstate 75 to U.S. 41., upgrading it to six lanes. The project would initially widen the roadway from two to four lanes, separated by a grass median.

That project also includes a multi-use path on the north side of Moccasin Wallow Road, along with a sidewalk on the south side and a bicycle lane in each direction.

Moccasin Wallow Road is often traveled by commercial trucks, and with more homes, schools and businesses coming to the area, Trace is focused on safety.

“It’s a busy road,” Trace said. “With kids and other people living on it now, the big semi trucks, it needs improvement.”

This story was originally published March 9, 2020 at 4:30 PM with the headline "Moccasin Wallow Road needs upgrades. Legislature approves $3 million for construction."