Thousands of Citrus County property owners in limbo over the state's studying of the Suncoast Parkway shouldn't expect an answer anytime soon.

During a Feb. 24-25 meeting in Tallahassee of environmental regulators, attempts to eliminate some potential routes were met with resistance from representatives with the Federal Highway Administration.

Gary Maidhof, Citrus county's direct of development services and a member of the environmental committee, said federal highway officials insist on analyzing each potential route before any is eliminated.

Maidhof said he pleaded on behalf of homeowners and business owners whose land lies somewhere in the 10 potential routes. Those people deserve to know whether their land will be part of the parkway route or not, he said.

"They want a full detailed analysis to the nth-degree on all 10 of those alignments," Maidhof said.

Federal approval is critical to the project, state officials say. The state has informed the Federal Highway Administration it may request $160 million to help fund the parkway's extension from U.S. 98 in Hernando County to U.S. 19 in Red Level, a few miles north of Crystal River.

The February meeting was of the Environmental Resource & Regularity Agency Group, a committee set up by the state Department of Transportation to facilitate environmental studies of the parkway.

State officials have narrowed the route down to 10 potential routes. The only portion that's settled is one segment that connects U.S. 19 with an area near County Road 486.

Maidhof said he and other state officials wanted to cross some routes off that have virtually no support. Topping that list is a route that slices through the eastern one-third of Sugarmill Woods.

"The feds were reluctant to eliminate any of them," he said. "I don't know if they have any idea what impact this project is having on the lives of people in Citrus County. There are lines on a map going over people's personal property. We know some of these alignments do not hold up to scrutiny."

Project Manager Carl Gibilaro said he does not consider the Federal Highway Administration acting as an obstructionist. Rather, he said, officials are only following the rules that are required to secure federal money, and those rules include scrutinizing every potential route before they are selected or eliminated.

"They don't want to make a premature decision," he said. "Once something's eliminated, it's almost impossible to bring it back."

He added: "I understand what these people are going through. Because of the rules we have to follow, my hands are tied."