Construction date uncertain for I-95 Ormond Beach exit despite $4 billion in state budget

Moving Florida Forward, a $7 billion initiative to advance 20 major transportation projects, was only partially funded during the 60-day legislative session that ended last week.

But with $4 billion in this year's budget, which still must be signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis, the Florida Department of Transportation should be able to start work on the highest-priority projects, said state Rep. Tom Leek, the House appropriations chair.

Meanwhile, lawmakers will come up with an additional $3 billion next year.

Don't hold your breath

"The real story is regardless of how much money we may appropriate, we are still constrained by a lack of aggregate (road-building materials) and people to build the roads," Leek said.

In other words, those 20 projects were never intended to start in 2023. Some are going to have to follow others.

No. 20 on the list of top 20 targeted projects is the $340 million overhaul of the Interstate 95-U.S. 1 interchange in Ormond Beach. Construction is not likely to begin for several years, Leek said.

The project development and environment study, a preliminary step, is expected to be completed in August. There is no construction date set.

Matthew Richardson, communications manager for FDOT's District 5 Office, said the $4 billion is "a major step towards getting projects into the pipeline 10-15 years in advance."

He acknowledged the Legislature's path differed from the governor's proposal.

"As with any policy or budget proposal, the initial proposal may look different than the final bill after it has moved through the legislative process," Richardson said in an email. "The department is currently assessing how to make that $4 billion be the most impactful and go the furthest throughout the state."

I-95/U.S. 1 project timing uncertain

Richardson said the department is still working on providing the public details of the I-95-U.S. 1 project's timing.

A Deeper Look: What is a 'diverging diamond interchange' and how will it work on I-95 in Ormond?

I-95 Ormond Interchange: FDOT picks 'diverging diamond' design for $215 million ramp overhaul at U.S. 1

Project History: FDOT seeks input on I-95/U.S. 1 interchange upgrade, with diverging diamond one option

DeSantis' plan called for moving $4 billion from state reserves into FDOT's budget. A second part required legislative action allowing FDOT "to leverage innovative financing tools, contracting, and proposed policies for the resulting $3 billion over four years," according to a policy statement on the FDOT website.

The I-95 interchange at U.S. 1 in Ormond Beach was built nearly 60 years ago, and engineers say its crash history and projected increasing congestion make it a necessity to redesign the ramps and make other improvements. That will include widening U.S. 1 for a one-mile stretch from four to six lanes in a "diverging diamond" design.

Leek, a Republican from Ormond Beach, said that involves identifying other sources of funds within the state budget and redirecting $3 billion to FDOT.

'No material impact'

"That gives us time to see what the economy does," he said. "It should not have any material impact on this program."

The 20 Moving Florida Forward projects promise to expand road capacity and improve safety from Miami to Pensacola. Here are a few of the most expensive ones:

• Widening I-4 through Osceola County, $1.45 billion.

• Building Poinciana Parkway Extension Connector linking County Road 532 at the Polk-Osceola county line to State Road 429, $1.32 billion.

• Widening I-75 between Golden Gate Parkway near Naples to Corkscrew Road in Estero, $578 million.

The U.S. Census Bureau determined Florida was the fastest-growing state between 2021 and 2022, increasing its population by 1.9%.

Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez, speaking at a press conference in Sanford on April 13, pointed to that growth as a reason to address infrastructure needs in an aggressive way.

"With that growth, there's no denying the traffic woes," Nuñez said. "For those of you who commute on a daily basis, I'm pretty sure that each of you can predict when and where you're going to expect those traffic delays and backups."

FDOT Secretary Jared Perdue said the projects in Moving Florida Forward were already in the pipeline and the initiative is a way to move up construction dates.

"Nothing is more directly impactful to the quality of life than transportation and infrastructure as we continue to grow, so it's important that we keep up and stay ahead of that growth," Perdue said.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Legislature fails to fully OK DeSantis' $7 billion infrastructure ask