Ridge Road opening and tolling letter to Turnpike

54:29Good deal. Yes, sir. Now Mr. Miles. And so um as the commissioner saw yesterday, the road is on the verge of being ready for traffic. We expect sometime within the next 30 days. The road to include the interchange at uh Sun Coast will be ready for traffic. So all the way from Moon Lake to Sun Coast Interchange. Uh the the challenge is the one thing holding up, uh finishing is the the tolling equipment on the north side of Ridge Road. So not on the south side because there's a gantry just a few miles south between

55:00Ridge and 54 that already exists, already tolls at a dollar seven a a passenger vehicle. that tolling equipment may not be in until sometime next spring. Uh right now we're kinda getting toll the tolling authority is kind of saying, hey, we want to wait till that's in to open it. Our our our position going in and we're continuing to work with their leadership is that no, the second we can put traffic on Ridge Road and the Interchange, we need to put traffic on Ridge Road and the Interchange. they every day we delay putting traffic on the

55:30interchange, they lose out. I actually went back and rechecked the math. It's three thousand dollars per day per Direction. Well. So it's about five to six thousand dollars of toll revenue at that gantry they would see. the second ridge road is open because most of the traffic goes south or it's coming from the south. And so We're working to set up a meeting between my guy and and the leadership with the tolling authority. We're hoping that resolves this. Uh if not, you three will five uh will be the first to know uh because that that doesn't make

56:00any sense. That uh once it's ready, it should be opened. It it's an immediate traffic reliever for as the commissioner said on 52, Moon Lake, Decubulus, Starkey. 54 all see pretty substantial reductions on the west side of Sun Coast the second that road is open.

56:15Yeah, I agree with Mr. Chairman. Yeah, I agree 100% that that can't hold us up. Um We need to open this in in the first of December. And then if they want to continue with this holding this up, I will be out there with an orange vest and a flag. And I'm the last person they want to see standing on that road directing traffic every day. So they need to uh go ahead and let us move forward with this.

56:38I think would we possibly need to write a letter to someone on that that's

56:43I I think at this point phone calls and meetings are the best approach. But I think we'll get a right answer before At least I'm hopeful we'll get a right answer before we have to get you involved and other elected officials involved. But I know that whether it's the board, our state legislatures and and frankly our congressman who's worked diligently on this for years, um, or don't want to wait an extra day once the the road is right open to traffic. Something like thirty years. Yes. We're working that hard. So

57:11Anything else? That was my one thing. But you know, and well you kind of threw me off a little bit. So I said, you know, we're probably within you know, probably early December that will be open. But if y'all would like a tour beforehand, just let uh us know and we'll hook you up with Sam and you can get the same thing the commissioner saw before traffic really gets on there. So uh but it's it's it's beautiful. I mean, and I'm a civil guy, so I I think roads are beautiful. But it it's it's done really well.

57:38I drove it early on before all forest like it is now.

57:41Really again as a reminder, really sensitive to the environmental conditions that surround it because we significantly significantly reduce our impact to the to the natural environment by using bridges and and other methods. So I mean, really tremendously done uh by the team all around.

57:57Commissioner Oakley Oh go ahead. Yeah. I just go a little for a so Mr. Chairman M along that point, you know, when Tropical Storm Debbie came in and flooded out fifty-four, where nobody from Penelas County would was gonna be able to get out. This cemented the fact that this had to be Done with bridges, raising it up so it could always always work. And I think we did a phenomenal job. And the benefit as well as the environment, it's a nice scenic road to go out. We were up high, looking over trees. I mean, it's it's it's a really phenomenal achievement. What I'd like to do is to make a motion to

58:27send a letter. Okay. To the Turnpike Authority, to the governor, et cetera, to make sure this road gets open if needed. And I say if needed, so if

58:35needed.

58:35Because we get a gap before our next meeting, and you may have a meeting tomorrow and they may tell you no, we're not gonna go do it. I want you, Mr. Chairman, to be able to authority to sign a letter on behalf of all of us. So that'll be my motion.

58:45Yeah, this okay, that's fine. Just let's just wait though and let him

58:48have his meetings in a second. The chairman or the administrator can decide if we need the letter, but it can Okay, second. Okay. That'll that'll work.

58:55So motion say that all those in favor of that. If needed. If needed.

58:58Aye.

58:59Aye.

58:59Okay.

59:00Motion pass three zero. All

59:02right.

59:02So

59:03from Bridge Road to choose.