The Florida Department of Transportation is calling for the expansion of lanes at the Interstate 75-Florida Turnpike interchange in Wildwood as a result of the hard lessons learned during Hurricane Irma.
FDOT was tasked with finding solutions to problems ranging from fuel shortage to traffic backups. It released the report, “Hurricane Irma’s Effect on Florida’s Fuel Distribution System and Recommended Improvement,” in January.
“As traffic increased on main highways, congestion began to occur in Wildwood where the Florida Turnpike merges with Interstate 75. Fuel shortages developed in Wildwood and in areas north near Lake City and the Panhandle. These areas faced continual shortages because of the limited number of gas stations and the ability to refuel those stations. Fuel trucks were also caught in the same heavy traffic, which affected delivery times,” the report said.
Villagers suffered the impact locally with fuel lines and service stations that ran out of gasoline.
The lack of fuel also hindered statewide evacuation efforts.
“The rapid spike in demand in advance of Hurricane Irma made it difficult for distributors to keep gas stations supplied as consumers filled up their cars and fuel containers for generators in preparation for uncertain conditions,” the report said.
The report also calls for a new fuel storage facility and suggests Wildwood would be a good location for it.
“When evaluating the feasibility for permanent facilities, the State and fuel industry should consider locating the facility at a strategic location, such as Wildwood, which is not at risk for storm surges or flooding,” the report said.
FDOT indicated it could evaluate the feasibility of requiring gas station owners, particularly those located on evacuation routes, to have a hurricane preparedness plan for their station and staff so they can remain open as long as possible and come back on line quickly after a storm.
