Gate Construction at MacDill

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Jenay Randolph
  • 6th Air Mobility Wing public affairs
MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  We all know driving on the base can be a little hectic, but there is a good reason for that, MacDill Air Force Base, Florida is undergoing gate construction. The construction is being done to allow better traffic flow going on and off base.

"There are several projects that will be taking place during this time, to include safety construction on all four gates," explains Louis Lantner, 6th Civil Engineer Squadron. "This construction is being done to enhance force protection here at MacDill."

The Tanker gate was originally designed for commercial vehicles only. However, as a result of traffic back-ups and slow entry through the other three gates, tanker is now used as a base entry for privately owned vehicles during the morning rush hour traffic. With limited roadways, traffic backs up off-base onto Interbay Avenue, creating an unsafe condition.

To try and eliminate this problem an additional incoming traffic lane is being created between Interbay Ave and Tanker gate commercial vehicle inspection area. This also modifies the perimeter fences to create a vehicle rejection lane directly to Manhattan Boulevard, which is scheduled to be completed in September of 2014.

The MacDill and Tanker gate will have additional roadway pavements, new bollards and relocated denial barriers to stay in compliance with standards for the reaction and deployment time. It will also allow for easier merging with traffic on North Boundary Blvd.

Also, the Bayshore gate construction will extend Zemke Avenue to connect to Bayshore Boulevard and install bollards to close CENTCOM Avenue. The barriers will be relocated to allow for security forces personnel time to react to a threat and deploy the final denial barriers.

Lastly, the Dale Mabry gate will have traffic calming measures to slow traffic and extend reaction and deployment times.

All gate construction is scheduled to be on-going until November of 2014.

While you are traveling on base during this time, please be mindful of construction workers and traffic modifications. The Dale Mabry and MacDill gates will maintain normal traffic flow and operating hours during the construction.