Gornto Lake Road Extension Under Construction East of Westfield Brandon

When the dust is cleared on the Gornto Lake Road extension, motorists will have a straight shot from Brandon Boulevard (State Road 60) to Lumsden Road, then on to Bloomingdale Avenue using the existing roadway section.

At a cost of $3.95-million, Hillsborough County officials have bought 0.738 miles of a four-lane divided roadway with turn lanes, "from south of Brandon Boulevard to approxiatley 800 feet south of [Brandon] Town Center Bouleveard."

That marks the east to west entrance of the Westfield Brandon shopping mall, where a sign gives testament to the construction work under way.

Construction started in October and is expected to finish late this year, with the time for completion noted as "365 calendar days."

• See Gornto Lake Road Extension - Hillsborough County Government for project details and an aerial map of the work under way with tags denoting existing development, wetlands, ponds and mitigation areas.

• See County To Extend Gornto Lake Road To Relieve Traffic Near Brandon Mall (ABC Action News)

• See Gornto Lake Road Extention Key To Easing Brandon Mall Traffic (TBO.com)

According to a Hillsborough County government update, the project is "under construction and on schedule."

The existing Gornto Lake Road consists of a mixture of commercial and residential uses. The extension through wetlands was deemed necessary because of the increase of such uses, as noted in the county report:

"Due to the increase of residential and commercial development into the Brandon area, there was a need for an additional north-south corridor between State Road 60 and Lumsden Road. Constructing the Gornto Lake Road extension (from south of Brandon Boulevard (State Road 60) to approximately 800 feet of the Brandon Town Center) would improve traffic flow in the area and help relieve congestion at the interstate access and the shopping mall."

Noted in the project description above was reference to the "Brandon Town Center," which was the original name of the shopping mall until it was acquired by Westfield Brandon. The Gornto Lake Road extension has been in the works for years.

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What are your views of the Gornto Lake Road extension? Have you been waiting for years to use it? Was it necessary to improve your quaility of life in the Greater Brandon area? Do you have any concerns? Let us know in the comment box below. 

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