Politicos Hope to Speed Up Central Florida's $2.3 Billion Highway Project

Anjali Fluker reports that U.S. Rep. John Mica (R-Florida) is pushing to move forward with a $2.3 billion "revamp" of Interstate 4 in Central Florida. Namely, Rep. Mica recently "hosted a meeting at the Orlando office of MetroPlan Orlando to discuss with local officials and interested parties how to push ahead on the next $2 billion phase of I-4 Ultimate."

The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is working with HTNB Corps on the study for the project. According to Fluker, the plan is to tear up and rebuild "40 miles of roadway from Kirkman Road in Orange County south to U.S. Highway 27 in Polk County, and from State Road 434 in Seminole County north to State Road 472 in Volusia County." More information on the proposed project is available at the FDOT's 1-4 Express website.

Rep. Mica's idea is to speed up the timeline on the estimated construction start date, from 2025 to "In the next four or five years." Fluker explains the reasoning behind the push: "Traffic congestion may be solved on the parts where the highway is revamped, but the roadways just beyond won’t be ready for that additional rush of vehicles." In Mica's own words, quoted directly in the article: "Once the I-4 Ultimate is done, just close your eyes and imagine four more lanes plus increased traffic pouring in from Kirkman Road in the next four years; you’re looking at a disastrous situation if we don’t do something about it right now…"