Florida transportation officials give timeline on "Moving Florida Forward" construction plans

As Florida approaches the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Ian, Lieutenant Gov. Jeanette Nuñez announced Monday the construction dates for 20 major transportation projects across the state.

"I am happy to say that the legislature not only answered our call, but they made sure, along with the leadership of Senate President Kathleen Passidomo and Speaker (Paul) Renner, that we were going to provide much-needed investment in infrastructure and be able to expedite these construction projects, especially as we go into this week and commemorating the one year anniversary of Hurricane Ian," Nuñez said.

In January this year, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced the "Moving Florida Forward" Project, asking the house to prioritize $7 billion in investment toward infrastructure.

The legislature approved $4 billion in this year's budget, and the Florida Department of Transportations plans to begin construction on these projects between 2024 and 2027.

During a press conference in Fort Myers, Nuñez said, alongside Passidomo and FDOT Secretary Jared Perdue, said that over $700 million alone will be invested in Southwest Florida.

"With the funding now secured, we can officially offer project schedules and rest assured that congestion relief on some of Florida's most critical corridors is no longer just a dream," Perdue said. "Projects part of this program will initiate construction within the next four years, which advances many of them 15 to 20 years for construction."

Passidomo said Florida keeps growing, and the initiative will help address that growth.

"Based on the most recent estimates, over the next five years population growth will average about 300,000 net new residents per year," Passidomo said. "In fact, from now until at least 2030, Florida's growth will double the national average."

Perdue said the $4 billion dollar investment brings FDOT's total funding over the next five years to over $68 billion.

Here are the projects slated to begin in the next four years:

Southwest Florida

• Interstate 75 at Pine Ridge Road interchange; funding: $23 Million. Construction begins early 2025.

Improvements include the reconstruction of the 1-75 Pine Ridge interchange to a diverging diamond interchange.

• Interstate 75 from Golden Gate Parkway to Corkscrew Road; $578 Million; fall 2027.

The project will provide capacity improvements to over 18 miles by adding one additional general-use lane in the northbound and southbound directions (six- to eight-lane widening) and auxiliary lanes as needed.

• State Road (S.R.) 29 from County Road (C.R.) 846 East to New Market Road; $85 Million; spring 2027.

This project will construct a new alignment of S.R. 29 as a four-lane divided roadway to serve as a loop around the downtown Immokalee area. The design will have four 12-foot travel lanes with curb and gutter on both sides, a 22-foot median, and 12-foot shared-use paths on both sides for the first mile. For the remainder of the project the design will have a 30-foot median and outside paved shoulders and 12-foot shared-use paths on both sides. The project also includes drainage improvements along the entire length of the corridor.

• State Road (S.R.) 29 from New Market Road to S.R. 82;$44 million; spring 2027.

This project consists of widening an approximately 3-mile-long segment of S.R. 29. The final roadway will consist of two 12-foot travel lanes in each direction with 4-foot paved inside shoulders, 10-foot (5-foot paved) outside shoulders, and a 30-foot median and a shared use path on each side of the roadway. intersection improvements are proposed for the intersection of S.R. 29 at New Market Road/Westclox Street.

Volusia County

• Interstate 95 (I-95) at U.S. 1 Interchange in Volusia County; $340 million; late 2027.

Approximately one-mile segment of U.S. 1 between Plantation Oaks Boulevard/ Broadway Avenue and Destination Daytona Lane will be widened from two lanes in each direction to three. This widening includes the addition of shared-use paths to serve bicyclists, pedestrians, and other uses.

Ocala

• Interstate 75 (I-75) from State Road (S.R.) 44 to S.R. 326; $479 million; spring 2025.

This project involves adding auxiliary lanes to I-75 in each direction between S.R. 44 and S.R. 326. It will include interchange modifications and right-of-way acquisition for future widening.

• U.S. 301 from County Road (C.R.) 470 to Florida's Turnpike; $26 million; fall 2025.

The project will reconstruct U.S. 301 from C.R. 470 to Florida's Turnpike between the cities of Sumterville and Wildwood to increase the roadway capacity, respond to future travel demand, improve overall safety, and accommodate pedestrians and bicyclists. The project includes realigning the roadway around the City of Coleman to avoid impacts on the city's downtown businesses.

Orlando

• Interstate 4 (I-4) from Champions Gate to Osceola Parkway; $1,451 million; late 2024.

This project will reconstruct I-4 to accommodate three general-use lanes, auxiliary lanes, and two special-use lanes in the eastbound and westbound directions from west of County Road (C.R.) 532 / Champions Gate to east of C.R. 522 / Osceola Parkway. Reconstruction of existing interchanges is also part of this project.

• Interstate 4 (I-4) at State Road (S.R.) 33 Interchange and S.R. 33 from Old Combee Road to North of Tomkow Road; $197 million; late 2024.

The I-4 at S.R. 33 interchange is located within the City of Lakeland in the northwest portion of Polk County. The interchange is a rural diamond interchange configuration that has single lane on- and off-ramps and two ramp terminal intersections without signals. This project will make modifications to the interchange including new roundabout intersections, add lanes on S.. 33 from Old Combee Road to North Tomkow Road, and improve wildlife crossings.

• Interstate 4 (I-4) from U.S. 27 to Champions Gate; $635 Million; fall 2026.

This project will reconstruct I-4 to accommodate three general-use lanes, auxiliary lanes, and two special-use lanes in the eastbound and westbound directions from west of U.S. 27 to west of County Road (C.R.) 532 / Champions Gate.

Tampa

• Interstate 275 (I-275) from 38th Avenue to 4th Street; $354 million; summer 2025.

This project will widen I-275 from 38th Avenue N to 4th Street N in Pinellas County to provide two tolled express lanes in each direction. A new multi-use trail will also be built along Ulmerton Road from 1-275 to Feather Sound Drive. The roadway and trail improvements will tie into the Gateway Expressway and Howard Frankland Bridge projects that are currently in construction.

• State Road (S.R.) 70 from Bourneside Boulevard to Waterbury Road; $53 million; fall 2024.

This project will widen S.R. 70 from Bourneside Boulevard to Waterbury Road from a two-lane undivided facility to a four-lane divided roadway. S.R. 70 is a principal arterial and a primary east-west highway for Manatee County and provides regional access to employment centers, agricultural lands, and residential areas across the state. S.R. 70 is also an east-west evacuation route. The project will include intersection improvements as well as bicycle and pedestrian enhancements.

• Interstate 75 (I-75) at Fruitville Road Interchange; $192 Million; fall 2024.

This project includes the reconstruction of the I-75 interchange at Fruitville Road from the existing cloverleaf configuration to a diverging diamond interchange (DDI). The project will also widen approximately two miles of 1-75, from Palmer Boulevard to north of Fruitville Road, which will include the replacement of the existing bridges over Fruitville Road and the southbound bridge over Palmer Boulevard. Additionally, auxiliary lanes will be constructed between the Bee Ridge Road and Fruitville interchanges in both directions. The project will also include the widening of approximately 1.6 miles of Fruitville Road from Honore Avenue to east of Coburn Road.

Central Florida

• Poinciana Parkway Extension Connector from County Road (C.R.) 532 to State Road (S.R.) 429; $1,318 million; preliminary engineering is underway, and the construction is to be determined.

This new stretch of roadway will extend about four miles from Osceola-Polk County Line Road/C.R. 532 to north of Interstate 4 (I-4) at S.R. 429 interchange in Osceola and Polk Counties. Two alternatives were presented to the public in February 2022. A revised alternative was developed and will be presented at the public hearing in Spring 2023.

North Florida

• U.S. 98 from Richard Jackson Boulevard to Hathaway Bridge; $98 Million; spring 2026.

This project will widen U.S. 98 from R. Jackson Boulevard to Hathaway Bridge. The project will also include intersection improvements, bicycle and pedestrian accommodations, and safety enhancements.

• Interstate 10 (I-10) from East of Eastbound weigh station to East of Nine Mile Road; $162 million.Preliminary engineering is underway, and the construction date is to be determined.

This project will widen I-10 from four to six lanes from east of the Pensacola Weigh Station to east of Nine Mile Road and reconstruct the interchange.

• State Road (S.R.) 263 from S.R. 61 to County Road (C.R.) 2203; $90 Million; summer 2026.

This project will widen the existing roadway, add lighting, construct stormwater management facilities, and implement intersection improvements. A 10-foot multi-use path will be constructed on the east side of the roadway, and a 5-foot sidewalk will be constructed on the west side of the roadway.

South Florida

• Southwest 10th Street in Deerfield Beach; $178 Million; summer 2024.

The SW 10th Street Connector Project will provide two roadways along SW 10th Street in DeerfieldBeach. One roadway, the SW 10th Street Connector Lanes, will improve regional connectivity by connecting the Sawgrass Expressway with I-95. The other roadway, local SW 10th Street, will become a "Complete Street" that will incorporate a shared-use path and provide connectivity to all existing local properties and the local roadway network. The project also includes improvements for 1-95 at the SW 10th Street and Hillsboro Boulevard interchanges, and completion of 1-95 Express within the project limits.

• Interstate 95 (I-95) at Golden Glades Interchange; $150 million; spring 2024.

The proposed enhancements to the Golden Glades Interchange include several miles of roadway and ramps. The project area consists of the following five major facilities: I-95, State Road (S.R.) 826/Palmetto Expressway, Florida's Turnpike, S.R. 9, and S.R. 7.

• West Midway Road from Glades Cut Off Road to Jenkins Road including On- and Off-Ramps for Florida'sTurnpike South - Funding: $58 Million. Construction Begins: Summer 2027.

This project will widen the existing two-lane road to a four-lane divided road, add a 7-foot buffered bike lane on both sides of the roadway, and add a 12-foot bicycle/pedestrian path on the south side of the project. The project also proposes to add a new partial interchange with Florida's Turnpike, providing ramps connecting to and from the south.

Luis Zambrano is a Watchdog/Cape Coral reporter for The News-Press and the Naples Daily News. You can reach Luis at Lzambrano@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @Lz2official.

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Constructions dates given on $4 billion in road improvement projects.