PORT ORANGE − Now that a panel of judges has cleared the way for construction of the controversial Interstate 95 at Pioneer Trail interchange project on the Port Orange/New Smyrna Beach border, now is a good time to learn more about the $120 million project.
The project will replace the aging existing two-lane overpass with a new traffic interchange that will include on-and-off ramps to the interstate, along with other major improvements. Here’s what to know about the project and its low bidder, a Daytona Beach company.
What exactly will be built?
The project involves replacing the existing two-lane Pioneer Trail overpass with a partial cloverleaf interchange.
“For the Pioneer Trail interchange project, several design alternatives were evaluated in the Project Development & Environment (PD&E) Study,” wrote Cindi Lane, a spokeswoman for the Florida Department of Transportation, in an email.
The partial cloverleaf design was the recommended configuration for the Pioneer Trail interchange.
“The project will provide one northbound I-95 off-ramp to a signal that will allow people to go east or west,” Lane wrote. “I-95 southbound will have separate ramps for those wishing to go east and those going west on Pioneer Trail. A modern roundabout is planned at Turnbull Bay Road to improve intersection efficiency and safety.”
Why is the project needed?
Pioneer Trail is an east-west road that runs through what historically has been a largely rural area, but that has changed in recent years, thanks to the addition of thousands of new homes and apartments on both sides of I-95.
The population growth is causing increasingly worsening traffic congestion both at the existing I-95 interchanges to the north at Taylor Road/Dunlawton Boulevard (State Road 421) in Port Orange as well as to the south at S.R. 44 in New Smyrna Beach.
Adding a new traffic interchange at Pioneer Trail would allow traffic to be spread more evenly, at least until builders add even more homes to the area. It would also provide residents in the area with another evacuation route during hurricanes and other emergencies.
“In terms of the history of the project, for decades the Pioneer Trail interchange has been identified as a priority for local government partners, as indicated in the Volusia-Flagler Transportation Planning Organization’s Long Range Transportation Plan,” Lane wrote.
“The transformation of the existing overpass into a new interchange will meet current and future demand in this growing area, as well as reduce traffic congestion at the two adjacent interchanges (S.R. 44 and S.R. 421).”
Why is the Pioneer Trail project controversial?
Environmentalists and wildlife sanctuary advocates sued the St. Johns River Water Management District and FDOT in an effort to block the I-95 at Pioneer Interchange project.
According to the lawsuit’s filers, construction of the project as well as pollution runoff from the completed interchange could cause irreparable harm to the adjoining Doris Leeper Spruce Creek Preserve as well as Spruce Creek itself.
The 2,513-acre nature park and wildlife sanctuary is on the northeast side of the planned interchange. It includes a winding section of Spruce Creek lined at certain points by bluffs.
The project got the greenlight on April 29 when a panel of appeals court judges in Marion County affirmed the St. Johns River Water Management District’s awarding of a building permit to FDOT.
The ruling came despite a lower-court judge’s issuance last year of a non-binding opinion that the Pioneer Trail project had no merit.
The lawsuit’s filers were two citizens groups called Bear Warriors United and the Sweetwater Coalition of Volusia County, along with Port Orange resident Derek LaMontagne and New Smyrna Beach resident Bryon White.
White said he and the lawsuit’s other filers plan to continue the fight to block the project by filing an appeal in federal court.
What is FDOT doing to address environmental concerns?
“Environmental impacts are always thoroughly evaluated and accounted for on all projects,” wrote Lane. “As part of the permitting process, the Department goes above and beyond in consideration of the environment, and Pioneer Trail is no exception.”
When is construction expected to begin?
Construction of the I-95 at Pioneer Trail interchange project is expected to begin this fall. It will take approximately three years to complete, according to FDOT officials.
The Pioneer Trail overpass is expected to remain open during most of the construction period.
Who is the low bidder on the project?
P&S Paving Inc. on April 30 beat out six other companies as the low bidder to build the interchange. The Daytona Beach company technically doesn’t have the contract in hand yet, but they are the top candidate.
“Now that P&S is identified as the low bidder, the (vetting) process is focused on them,” confirmed Lane. “This is the first step.”
While P&S might not be a household name, even locally, it has completed some extremely high-profile projects in the area.
“We work with P&S all the time,” Lane added. “They do tons of projects for us.”
P&S Paving’s past work for FDOT included the $206 million dual Interstate 95/International Speedway Boulevard and I-4/I-95 interchange project in Daytona Beach that was completed in 2020.
Over the years, P&S has cleared land for projects throughout Volusia County, including work for the county, cities, and some of the region’s biggest private-sector employers.
What is P&S Paving?
P&S Paving Inc. describes itself as an asphalt-paving contractor established in January 1993.
Its founders were identical twin brothers who grew up in Daytona Beach: the late William Todd Phillips, who died at age 54 in March 2020, and Tim, the company’s current owner and president.
In a 2018 interview with a trade publication called Construction In Focus, Tim Phillips said he and his brother started their company “with $5,000, one rented ‘dozer, and one employee.”
Their first project was a soccer field.
“Today, we employ over 250 people,” P&S Paving states on its website.
Its headquarters office is four miles west of I-95, at 3701 Olson Drive in Daytona Beach, off Indian Lake Road.
What are some of P&S Paving’s past projects?
A list of P&S Paving’s past projects locally reads like liner notes for a greatest-hits album.
For NASCAR, it worked on the $400 million “Daytona Rising” makeover of NASCAR’s iconic Daytona International Speedway, and the One Daytona entertainment/retail complex across the street.
The company also worked on the FDOT project to add a second pedestrian overpass on West International Speedway Boulevard (just east of the one with the famous “Welcome to Daytona Beach” sign). The second overpass in 2016 was named the top regional transportation project in the country by the American Association of State Highway & Transportation Officials.
In Daytona Beach’s fast-growing LPGA area, P&S Paving has done site work for both Tanger Outlets, several stores at Tomoka Town Center, and the Trader Joe’s “World Class Distribution Center.”
In downtown Daytona Beach, P&S Paving’s projects have included the Beach Street streetscape project that narrowed the road from four lanes to two, the 11-story Brown & Brown headquarters, and the Riverfront Esplanade.
P&S Paving also cleared land for the City of Daytona Beach’s First Step Shelter for homeless adults.
How did their bid compare with the others?
According to FDOT, P&S Paving submitted a bid a $60.25 million for the I-95 at Pioneer Trail project.
Southland Construction submitted the second-lowest bid at $64.97 million.
The other bids in ascending order were as follows: Jr. Davis Construction ($65.28 million), Granite Construction Company of California ($74.99 million), Mastec Civil ($74.19 million), Masci General Contractors ($76.25 million), and Sema Construction ($81.22 million).
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: What is the I-95/Pioneer Trail project? And who is P&S Paving? Here’s what we know.
Reporting by Clayton Park, Daytona Beach News-Journal / The Daytona Beach News-Journal
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