Land O' Lakes residents in two neighborhoods near Asbel Road could get a direct route to the Ridge Road Extension, bypassing U.S. 41.

Pasco County is planning a $1.9 million connector from Falcon Crest Boulevard to Ridge Road, the Tampa Bay Beacons reported. The project would extend Asbel Road, which dead-ends behind the Tierra Del Sol community, to meet the new east-west corridor.

Once built, residents of Tierra Del Sol and Asbel Creek & Estates will be able to reach the Ridge Road Extension directly. Right now, their only option is Land O' Lakes Boulevard (U.S. 41) to a planned traffic signal where the extension will meet Connerton Boulevard.

Permits Pending Before Construction Can Begin

Final plans are under review by the Southwest Florida Water Management District and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the county told the Beacons. No approval date has been announced. Once permits clear, construction is expected to take about 250 days.

Larger Extension Project Also Facing Delays

The connector feeds into the larger Ridge Road Extension, a 3.75-mile road linking North Sunlake Boulevard to U.S. 41. The county now expects the initial two-lane connection to open in fall 2027, with the full project finished in spring 2028.

CSX Railroad Bridge Remains the Main Obstacle

The holdup is a railroad bridge over the CSX line, which runs north-south parallel to U.S. 41. The county's Transportation Engineering Department told the Beacons in June that crews were "experiencing some schedule impacts as we work through the required clearance process for the bridge construction over the CSX Railroad."

Even those revised dates could shift. In a Sept. 13 update to the Beacons, the county cautioned that the timeline remains "subject to change depending on coordination needs with CSX Railroad during construction."

Pasco County's public information office posted a construction update June 22 showing fresh pavement on both sides of the extension up to the CSX bridge, with crews preparing to set two 200-foot girder bridges.

Comparing Costs of the Extension's Two Phases

The $85 million second phase of the Ridge Road Extension, which began in 2024, will also create a new intersection with Connerton Boulevard and add sidewalks, a multiuse path, bike lanes and water mains. The $104 million first phase carried Ridge Road past the Suncoast Parkway in 2021 and added a parkway interchange.

No public hearing or commission vote on the Asbel Road connector has been scheduled as of Sept. 15.