Many Plant City residents have been eagerly awaiting the grand opening of Wawa on Thonotosassa Road, but some have concerns that the popular gas station and convenience store will cause traffic problems for drivers getting onto or off of Interstate 4.
Lynn Connor is a frequent customer at Starbucks and stops in three to five times each week. Sometimes, Connor parks next door at McDonald’s and walks to Starbucks since its lot is almost always full in the mornings.
“I used to go every morning before work,” Connor said. “However, between extremely slow service for Starbucks and increased traffic jams from the Wawa construction, it takes too long.
“I can’t imagine how it will be when patrons are trying to support both businesses. My prediction is disaster traffic nightmare,” she said.
And it’s not just everyday citizens who are anticipating an uptick in traffic times. The Florida Department of Transportation has an $800,000 plan for roadwork near Wawa’s entrance.
“There was already traffic issues with the (eastbound I-4) off-ramp having a free flow right turn and (Thonotosassa) trying to weave into the right turn lane entrance to Starbucks,” Kris Carson of FDOT wrote in an email. “With the new Wawa store being built and going to generate more traffic at that entrance, improvements were needed to reduce conflicts at the entrance.”
FDOT’s plans include adding a traffic signal at the I-4 eastbound exit ramp, and realigning the exit ramp to have two southbound lanes and one northbound lane. Having an extra southbound lane will allow drivers to smoothly pass customers who are slowing down to turn into Wawa.
There will also be sidewalks added to both sides of the road to increase pedestrian access and safety.
FDOT officials estimate the cost of the design at $189,586 and construction at $606,242. The developer of Wawa has contributed about $500,000 toward the project, and the state department will fund the rest.
The work is not expected to start until summer 2015, though Wawa will be opening before the end of 2014.
Starbucks, which is adjacent to Wawa, will also be undergoing construction to manage the consequences of increased traffic between the businesses, as Starbucks and Wawa will share an entry driveway.
Starbucks will be adding some parking spaces and changing the placement of its drive-through. The new entrance to the drive-through will extend toward the back of Starbucks, past the main parking area, to prevent traffic from backing up onto Thonotosassa Road.
The existing median opening across from Starbucks will be closed, to allow a northbound U-turn lane at the eastbound I-4 exit ramp.
Contact Catherine Sinclair at csinclair@plantcityobserver.com.