Cart tunnel closure - FYI
 

From the VCDD:

"e-Notification
Subject: What's Happening - Special Edition
Date: 2/3/2011

As of 6pm this evening, the golf cart tunnel under CR 101 will be closed until futher notice for maintenance. Due to safety concerns, no carts or pedestrians are permitted through the tunnel. In addition, as in the past, golf cart crossing of CR 101 will not be allowed. The District will continue to provide updates as new information becomes available."

Bill

thought The Sun has a post re: this today saying there would be a detour and that would be at at Woodridge Drive. The radio announcer also gave this this morning and warned the cart and car drivers to be VERY careful in this area due to a curve or some sort of obstructive view.

Is it allowed or not to cross CR101 at Woodbridge Drive ? Otherwise how do you get to the businesses on 466 betwen Bonefish and Walmart??

My understanding is that the tunnel is closed to all users and there are no golf carts allowed to cross CR101. I believe they had the sheriff out there for a day to try traffic control in the area to allow carts to cross but they waved that off. Must not have worked out very well!

Current info from www.districtgov.org :

CR101 Tunnel Closed for Maintenance
The tunnel under CR 101 will be closed until futher notice for maintenance. Due to safety concerns, no carts or pedestrians are permitted through the tunnel. In addition, as in the past, golf cart crossing of CR 101 will not be allowed. The District will continue to provide updates as new information becomes available.

Bill

No crossing signs are posted in the area but I counted 6 carts crossing CR101 in a short 10 minute span this Sunday morning . . . didn't seem like there were any police around.

Just wondering if they cross over to go to Wal-Mart and the police do come they may have to sit on the other side of the street until the police leave.

Since this hurts Villagers and the stores in this area why are we not using Community Watch to help with an organized crossing?

Anybody think of using their car to get to the stores accross CR101?

Thw police should be able to ticket any carts at Wal-Mart or any other business on the west side of 101, since they aren't supposed to be there anyway.

Car?

Bill

Apparently not.
Friday afternoon my wife and I attempted to get to Olive Garden using that area. There were two deputies there and we asked one of them about crossing there. His reply was to go back home and get our car. As he said that someone did cross 101 in a golf cart at which point the other deputy took off in pursuit.

Saw a golf cart sneak across CR101 this morning north of Crispers. At least, the driver did it where there were not any signs saying that this is forbidden.

I almost hit the nincompoop though as he/she seemed to think he/she had the right of way vs. my van driving south on CR101.

There are golf carts on that side of 101..they come from Bison Valley!!

I personally checked the tunnel and the walls, concrete path, etc. This was at about 7:30PM tonight. I had a bright flashlight and I cannot find any evidence of any construction or repair work at all. The tunnel has been closed for about 5 days or so. I would really like to know why they are keeping it closed so long and what work is planned for it if any.

I watched at least six golf carts (NOT street legal) cross CR 101 on Woodbridge Drive in a ten minute period. Obviously it is happening all day long, and people are ignoring the "rules". And there was a police officer sitting in a police car watching them.

I can't believe they would plan a tunnel closing during snowbird season. I hope TOTV members will keep posting the status of the "repair" situation.

Still the same story on www.districtgov.org :

"The tunnel under CR 101 will be closed until further notice for maintenance. Due to safety concerns, no carts or pedestrians are permitted through the tunnel. In addition, as in the past, golf cart crossing of CR 101 will not be allowed. The District will continue to provide updates as new information becomes available."

Sounds like a pretty open-ended project to me!

Bill

The first day it was closed (last Thursday), there were a group of workers in the tunnel. I don't know what they were doing. I haven't seen anyone since then. I'll bet if there were a golf course on the other side of 101 it would be fixed.

How about some info.
 

They ought to at least let folks know what is going on. It it a drainage issue, tunnel collapsing, cracking, etc. They give updates to every other project that is going on around here.

If there is a problem, how about fixing it ASAP

Sent a polite e-mail to the VCDD asking for some feedback. Will post what I get in reply.

Bill

Don't you mean IF?

Nah, they'll send a reply of some sort. I told them I'd send you to see them in person if I didn't............... hee-hee! :clap2:

Bill

Just Received .... CR101 Tunnel Update
 

The Latest Information:

Multi Modal Path Tunnel under CR 101
During a routine inspection of the multi-modal paths, District Property Management staff noticed cement pieces on the floor of the tunnel under CR101. Upon further investigation they found the cement had fallen from the tunnel. After cleaning the area of loose cement, they left and came back later to find additional cement had broken loose. At this time they requested our consulting engineer to look at the tunnel and determine what action would be necessary.

After examining the tunnel, it was suggested out of an abundance of caution that it be closed until further review could take place. The manufacturer was contacted, a structural engineer sent to The Villages and a decision was made to have core testing conducted on portions of the tunnel structure.

The testing is scheduled for Thursday, February 10th, and it will take approximately three weeks for the testing results to be completed.

At this point, out of continued concern for the safety and well being of residents, the tunnel will remain closed.

Any questions may be directed to Janet Tutt, District Manager, janet.tutt@districtgov.org or 753-4508.

Thank you for your patience and understanding regarding this unanticipated maintenance issue.

Just got my e-notification from VCDD as well. Better than an e-mail reply!! :)

Bill

All they need is a detour. How about taking the carts north past the Methodist Church and then setting up a crossing point there.

Holy Cowabunga! It looks as if the tunnel will be closed for quite some time.

I hope they post a police office at Woodbridge Drive (and also at Wedgewood Drive) and CR 101 to control the situation. For years, Villagers have had access via the tunnel to the delights that lie to the west. Bonefish Grill, Red Lobster, Olive Garden, Walmart, Buffalo Ridge, Perkins, Bealls, Street Rods, Pet Store, etc.

For sure, people will be crossing CR 101 on Woodbridge Road in their non-street legal golf carts. And the speed limit going north on CR 101 is 35 MPH. It's a recipe for disaster. I hope that the Police Department "mans up", sorry girls, and takes charge of the situation.

At least they should post signs on Woodbridge and Wedgewood advising golf carts that the tunnel is closed and that it is illegal to cross CR 101.

Sounds like it will be at least 3.5 weeks before this tunnel re-opens, if not many more weeks than that.

memson, Big big thanks for the info. :thumbup:

They do have cones at both Woodbridge and Wedgewood with signs saying NO golf carts are allow to cross 101. They also have one between the Church and Krispers. They are not allowing carts to cross anywhere along 101. Guess we will have to use our cars. Sounds like this could be closed for quite awhile.

Streetrod and E-ZGO both have repair shops in Palm shopping plaza. Guess this cuts them off from drive up business.:rant-rave::oops::confused::sad:

Another reason to buy a street legal cart!

Now why not just post 20mph signs in that section of CR101 to slow the cars down and allow the carts to cross by the church?

Since it's legal to walk across the street but not drive your golf cart across it makes no sense . . . which is slower and presenting more of a danger, a 70 year-old crossing 4 lanes of traffic on foot or a golf cart?

I was told that the police were hiding yesterday up the road and ticketing cars that had crossed . . . so it was about making money and not about safety. If it really were about safety they would be on CR101 and stopping the carts before they crossed!

That is not 101 near Crispers,101 is near the wal mart

101 is by Crispers and runs by the Methodist Church.

CR 103 is just east of Wal-Mart and CR105 is by Wal-Mart on the West side and goes by the Leahy Golf driving range.

Yes, CR 101 is by Crisper's and the Methodist Church. Woodridge and Wedgewood both cross it. The cones are there, but there is no signage on the cones from the Palm Ridge Side (at least there wasn't yesterday) and there were lots of carts that were not the street legals crossing.

I know this is redundant info but I decided to post it anyway..........in support of the fact that the VCDD, at least Eva Rey in this specific instance, is responsive to our questions:

"Bill:

Thank you for your e-mail submitted via the Districts’ website and the opportunity to answer your questions.

Pieces of the cement tunnel wall have begun to break away and fall onto the path. We are currently working with the engineers and the testing company to determine what the problem is with the tunnel and what it will take to resolve the issue. They will be taking core samples tomorrow. We should receive the results of the core sample testing in approximately 3 weeks. As I am sure you can understand, the safety of Village residents is paramount to District management and closing the tunnel is necessary to ensure everyone’s safety.

Please continue to monitor our website and local media for any new information available on this issue.

Sincerely,

Eva M. Rey, MPA
Director of Purchasing and Support Services
Village Community Development Districts
1894 Laurel Manor Drive
The Villages, FL 32162
Phone (352) 751-6700
Fax (352) 751-6715
eva.rey@districtgov.org
"Hospitality, Stewardship, Innovation & Creativity, Hard Work"

Note: Under Florida Law, email communications are public records. If you do not want your email address or email contents released in response to a public-records request, do not send electronic email to this entity."

Bill

In my opinion, there would be no huge safety issue with carts crossing CR101 up by the Methodist Church. Rather than have the orange cones that say NO cart crossing, they should put the cones in the middle of CR101 and have them say "CAUTION: Golf Cart Crossing". A street legal cart is no safer than any other cart for crossing a road like CR101.

For all the tax money Sumter County gets from TV, they should be able to handle a temporary situation, such as this, quite easily.

I'm pretty new here, so am I way off base in this thinking ???? :shrug:

Sounds rational to me!

Bill

Tonight saw quite a few people parking near Crispers and walking across 101. That is much more dangerous than a planned detour.

I'm really bummed out about the tunnel closing - I ride my golf cart to work in the Palm Ridge Plaza (I'm a Master Tax Advisor for H&R Block). I looked for cross walks so that I could park my cart around Crispers and walk to work, but I couldn't find a legal place to cross CR 101.
Guess I tell my hubbie he gets the cart and I get the car!

Do you think calling a commissioner would be of benefit?

I thought a street legal cart was licensed to travel 10 to 15 MPH faster than a non street legal cart.

Is there a statute that says you can't walk across 101?