HOLIDAY, Fla. — Residents in Pasco County have been voicing frustrations about potholes, cracks, and uneven pavement on their neighborhood roads, prompting questions about how repairs are prioritized.
Sunray Drive in Holiday is currently undergoing repaving, and Ryan Bagedly, who operates the Second City Pizza trailer on the corner, has been watching the work.
“It gives me a lot of hope. I just wish they would do it a little bit faster,” Bagedly said.
Pasco County Public Works Director Jason Mickel said the county uses a scientific process to decide which roads to fix.
“The worst roads aren’t necessarily the top priority roads. The top priority roads become the roads that we can fix most efficiently,” Mickel said.
According to Mickel, resurfacing a road like Sunray costs about $350,000 a mile. That’s far less than waiting until it completely fails. Once repaved, it can last another 20 to 25 years.
“But when you are tackling those poor roads or failed roads, it costs about a million dollars a mile,” Mickel said.
That process does not sit well with residents like Debi Welch of Wesley Chapel.
“What I know is this is an awful road,” Welch said.
Bryan Single of Zephyrhills shared a similar complaint.
“It shouldn’t be like this,” he said.
Both contacted Tampa Bay 28 to highlight their neighborhood concerns. Mickel saw those stories acknowledged the frustrations.
“I’m very sympathetic to people, first of all. It can be a safety hazard in some cases, and we understand that,” he said.
County officials said they have repaved 139 lane miles so far this year. But Pasco has about 4,000 lane miles total, and approximately 1,500 of those are considered to be in fair, poor, or failed condition.
Funding remains the county’s biggest challenge. Pasco eliminated a system that directly charged homeowners on streets that were paved. Instead, commissioners approved a countywide road tax to fund projects.
“We are trying to catch up. We are hopeful. We are prioritizing, and we are trying to get to everybody,” Mickel said.
Bagedly said he is seeing progress.
“They finally fixed a road by me. They were so bad that the people who live in the neighborhood were concreting it themselves,” he said.
Residents who want to report a road issue can use the county’s Pasco County Connect app or call Public Works at 727-847-2411 to submit repair requests.
For more information, visit the Pasco County Public Works website.
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For more than 15 years, Erik Waxler has called Pasco County home. He’s dedicated to helping his neighbors solve problems and celebrate those who help others. Share your ideas and tips with Erik below.
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