Leon County Commissioner Brain Welch – who represents District 4 – recently provided an update on the Bannerman widening project which was approved in 2014.
Based on the results of a Traffic Feasibility Analysis, which examined future traffic capacity and supporting infrastructure needs along the Bannerman Road corridor, the project was expanded in September 2020.
The update states the “project is underway and is currently in the finalization of its design phase, with groundbreaking expected in late 2023.”
Provided below is the schedule for the project.
The final design will be presented to the Blueprint Board for approval, which will then begin the process for engineering, right-of-way acquisition and permitting.
The project is split up into 3 segments, each with differing improvements planned:
- Segment 1: North Meridian Road to Preservation Road (Construct a median and turn lanes to support two-lane roadway with multimodal and stormwater improvements.)
- Segment 2: Preservation Road to Tekesta Drive (Widen to four-lanes with multimodal and stormwater improvements.)
- Segment 3: Tekesta Drive to Thomasville Road (Widen to four-lanes with multimodal and stormwater improvements.)
Commissioner Welch notes that a multimodal path is currently recommended on both sides of the widened road from Bull Headley to Thomasville, and on the southern side of Bannerman from Bull Headley to Meridian Road. After this project’s completion, the County plans to extend the sidewalk project down the length of Bull Headley.
Bannerman Road Widening Project Update added by Staff on
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A little update, they are taking their eminent domain from us. Funny no retention ponds were ever mentioned! Seems they really want our entire 3.5 acres and since the clay doesn’t allow for proper percolation of runoff they have to have five ponds with connecting pipe lines to ensure Lake McBride isn’t affected. They haven’t even approached our nearest neighbor who could also be affected by this. A lot of people are going to pay the price for the Bannerman Road widening, not just us. Funny our attorney sent us a letter saying we wouldn’t be affected so they didn’t file representation on our behalf. Tell me how they hid this bit of pertinent information from homeowners until the project is set to begin. Somebody is getting rich!!!
We front Bannerman and have 3.5 acres. For the last three days they have been surveying our land for a possible retention pond! There goes my land, I have two young children, chickens, cats and a dog! The dog park has had problems with moccasins and alligators, just what I want right outside my windows! Nice of them to mention this in their plans for widening! Thanks so much for your improvements!
Glad to see this project getting done. It is way overdue. And, if Metronet can bury cables, why not bury the power cables as well and get rid of those above ground transmission lines. Looking forward to the new Publix and the Farm Store
Glad to see this project getting done. It is way overdue. And, if Metronet can bury cables, why not bury the power cables as well and get rid of those above ground transmission lines. Looking forward to the new Publix.
Our local govt.sounds just like D.C. Good grief! I travel in the area of Bull Headley & Bannerman quite regularly because my vet is there (3 cats, 1 old dog), more frequently than I’d like…… anyway, we have witnessed the raping!, literally!!, of all of that land for a couple of years. It really is outrageous! I escaped from Miami in 1989 to escape what was happening down there – exactly this!!
Believe it or not, some people who live between there and Thomasville have no idea of all the construction going on at Bull Headley. I’ve mentioned all the construction on down there it to a few people I know in Kill Lakes, and the neighborhood south of there (Maclean), and they did not know what I was talking about! Working people, especially with kids, are too busy to find out the devious things that our so called “leaders” are doing.
This actually started back in 2011 with community meetings. I went to one and told them there that we don’t need it widened we just need strategically placed left turn lanes and a dedicated right turn only into Tekesta with a dedicated right lane. Similar to the intersection of meridian and John Knox. That’d save them millions and limit the disruption to people whose homes would now be taken. They don’t listen, they have their plan and agenda.
Citizens need to investigate who investors are in all the LLCs around town
“Ghazvinis are fully out on a limb in this election as well, supporting all three bad City candidates, John (D-FPL), DWC and Bellamy, repped by Governance, Inc.”
In the county the bundled contributions from the Ghazvinis are going to Nick’ Maddox, and Jay Revell.
The above named all acceptt bundled contributions, have run lackluster campaigns, and will be indebted to spending taxpayers money for the Ghazvinis special interests like Doak Stadium seats.
The disparity will continue and children will not have food to eat or sidewalks to walk, and environmental regulations will not be adhered to if the bundlers are not voted out once and for all.
So, who’s property are they imminent domain to do this? That’s a huge amount of space. I’ve got a friend who’s house butts right up on Bannerman as it is. He’s going to have car right at his kitchen window.
@Hope 100%.
Ghazvinis are fully out on a limb in this election are well, supporting all three bad City candidates, John (D-FPL), DWC and Bellamy, repped by Governance, Inc.
After bizarrely calling Welch a communist on Facebook a while back, can only imagine they’ll continue to back “pro-development” extremists in 2024 via “Grow Tallahassee” like they supported Desloge who got crushed
@ Commonsense…
Eloquently stated. One word: Ghazvini.
This project is a total joke and major insult to those residents in the affected area.
I’ve been following this debacle since it first mysteriously came on the scene like most contentious projects dreamt-up by the county and city and usually driven by the developers.
I went back-and-forth with Brian Desloge on this but only received the usual platitudes of “everything will be wonderful and the people will love this progress.” He even lied to me when, a few years back, the county made some “improvements” to the intersection of Bannerman and Bull Headley at a cost of over $1 million. He said the work was totally compatible with the future road widening project. It wasn’t, and most previous work was ripped-up by the recent construction going on in that area.
As for public input, that was shameful. I personally attended the so-called public input sessions. At one of the first meetings questions from the floor were not permitted. If you had a question it had to be asked one-on-one with a county representative. They, of course, knew nothing of the project details. Other sessions were similar where they were asking people “important questions” like. “What kind of trees and shrubs would you like to see planted in the median and along the multi-use paths?” Nobody ever asked the area residents if they would like to lose some of their property to eminent-domain to see Bannerman widened.
The traffic study was based on future development along that corridor. For certain, the county was fully aware of the future plans of some of their “good friend” developers. In short, the Bannerman widening project is being done to accommodate the developer’s projects. Take a ride over to Bannerman and Bull Headley to see what the developers are doing to destroy the non-commercial character of this once suburban/rural area. “G,” I wonder who one of those big developers is?
Finally, current traffic on Bannerman gets busy twice a day during morning and evening rush hour like most roads throughout the city and county. People expect that and learn to adjust for it. Without a lot of unnecessary high-density future development along that road, there would be no significant need to widen the road. However, per the county, that road will be widened whether people like it or not or even need it.
Excuse the length of this rant, but it’s discussing how the county and other planning organizations can disrupt the lifestyles of hundreds of people who moved out this way to get away from congested, commercial, high-density areas. Yes, growth is inevitable, but it also has to be compatible with how the area historically developed.
David, no, there is no actual public input when it comes to Blueprint projects.
Remember, they just cancelled a meeting and won’t have another till December due to a “light schedule.”
Odd since $20 million online for the Airport Gateway, this project, another $10 million for Capital Cascades Trail Segement 4, Northeast Gateway and more… nothing light, and the people end up getting pissed because no real public input is ever incorporated into these projects. Doing so during the planning period would alleviate a lot of heartache.
@Pat — This being August 1, it’s the start of a whole new month of the Dems enriching themselves at our expense!
@David — This is 2022, not 1962. Software exists to lay out that entire stretch of road, generate full materials list, and identify “challenges” such as existing structures, bridges, creeks, etc. in an afternoon. For government to take 15 months to do the same thing would seem about standard…
Utility companies don’t bury Transmission (those huge towers) or Distribution (generally poles) power lines because it costs 2+X the price, and when you conduct a cost/benefit analysis, it’s not worth it. The power companies would probably be happy to do it, IF they could pass the costs on to customers.
In Florida, Transmission power lines rarely fail for any reason – it’s generally the Distribution power lines that get hit by trees, and the power companies are really good about getting those back up within hours. For several years, City of Tallahassee and Leon County planners have been requiring new developments to bury Distribution lines within neighborhoods (homeowners absorb the cost in the price of the home). But the bulk of the Distribution lines delivering power to these new neighborhoods are atop poles.
I know this is a pic but why does it show power lines? Should the lines be buried? Similar to Killearn Lakes. And why not start with phase 3 and work towards North Meridian Road.
The DESIGN completion is “Expected” in late 2023? Seriously? This all started back in 2014, why is it taking this long just to DESIGN the damn thing?
Are you REALLY using the Publics input on the Design? Was that BEFORE or AFTER the Expansion decision?
Good morning … prepare for another week of the Democrat party purposely destroying our economy to give billions to themselves and their friends.