Death, taxes, and Interstate 4 being jammed up from west of U.S. Highway 27 leaving Polk County up to Osceola Parkway entering Orange County during any daylight hour.
Those are three inevitable things to living in Osceola County.
But, if you are one of the “I-4 Hostages,” then help is on the way in the form of “Moving Forward Florida.”
The state-level proposal, announced Monday by Gov. Ron DeSantis at an event in Polk County, would invest $7 billion in 20 “congestion relief” road projects around the state, and three of them are in Osceola County — at a cost of over $3 billion.
Expanding I-4 from U.S. 27 to County Road 532/Champions Gate (a $635 million project), and then from 532 to Osceola Parkway ($1.4 billion). The legislation would also cover the cost of expanding Poinciana Parkway from its northwest terminus at U.S. Highway 17-92 through 532 to State Road 429 ($1.3 billion).
It comes at a time when Osceola County, after reworking some of the bond payments on Osceola Parkway, is investing more billions into improving its most-traveled arterial roads, like Neptune Road, Poinciana Boulevard, Partin Settlement Road and Simpson Road.
“Osceola is already on the move with $2.4 billion dollars being invested in transportation and infrastructure but this additional support from the state will advance critical transformational projects,” County Commission Chairwoman Viviana Janer said in a release Monday after the announcement. “Connecting the Poinciana Parkway to I-4 is a significant step in creating a beltway system around the county and relieving gridlock throughout Osceola. Transportation is important to residents and our businesses. The improvements to I-4 as part of ‘Beyond the Ultimate’ are guaranteed catalysts to a vibrant future and economic growth, while easing some of the stress commuters face daily.”
The new stretch of Poinciana Parkway would extend about four miles from 532 to north of the Interstate 4 at the S.R. 429 interchange. A Central Florida Expressway Authority (CFX) project is already in the planning stages to connect the current north end of the Parkway for about three miles to 532.
The I-4 work, originally billed as “Beyond the Ultimate” in reference to the I-4 Ultimate project that added tolled “express” lanes to the middle of the highway and upgraded numerous interchanges, would include general use lanes, auxiliary lanes, and two special use lanes, and reconstructing existing interchanges.
The timetable for the work wasn’t specifically mentioned Monday, other than with the word, “Expedited.”
“This proposal will break through bureaucracy that often slows down infrastructure projects and allow FDOT to target projects that will ease congestion across the state,” DeSantis said Monday. “Expediting these projects will bring them to completion more than a decade ahead of schedule. I don’t think we can wait 20 years to get this type of relief.”
FDOT Secretary Jared Perdue called the proposal, “Truly historic.”
“The projects included will help relieve congestion while also focusing on safety, resiliency, the supply chain, and economic growth. These are important for Floridians’ quality of life and to ensure we maintain a strong transportation system to keep Florida moving forward,” he said.
According to state officials, the proposal combines $4 billion of General Revenue Surplus with the Florida Department of Transportation’s ability to leverage innovative financing tools, contracting, and policies to provide the other $3 billion over four years.
To see a list of the statewide projects being moved along, go to https://www.fdot.gov/movingfloridaforward.
