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Ribbon-cutting ceremony for Cross Prairie Parkway.
A new and improved stretch of road officially opened Friday, providing motorists with enhanced options to access Florida’s Turnpike and the U.S. Highway 192 commercial corridor from Neptune and Partin Settlement Roads.
Cross Prairie Parkway includes the widening from two to four lanes of what was formerly known as Shady Lane, between U.S. 192 and Partin Settlement Road, as well as construction of a new portion that connects south of Shady Lane and links Partin Settlement Road to Neptune Road. The entire road – consisting of both the widening and the extension - is now known as Cross Prairie Parkway.
“The County Commission is committed to improving our transportation infrastructure with more than $200 million in projects on the way,” said Osceola Commission Chairman Brandon Arrington. “This new road and improvements to the old Shady Lane should make it easier for motorists to access the Turnpike and the many businesses along U.S. 192.’’
District 4 County Commissioner Cheryl Grieb, who represents the project area, said that completion of the Cross Prairie Parkway project will complement other road improvements planned for the area.
“This project ties together with the widening of Neptune Road from Partin Settlement Road to U.S. 192 that is currently in design and construction,” said Grieb. “In the future, this road will be vital as a “spine road” that ties together several major developments that the County approved more than a decade ago. We are moving forward in our efforts to make getting from point A to point B easier for everyone.”
Work on the Neptune Road project is expected to begin in the fall of 2022. Other priority roads include: Poinciana Boulevard, Simpson Road, Boggy Creek Road and Partin Settlement Road – with all projects expected to be complete by 2025. Learn more at www.osceola.org/osceola-roads.
With a cost to design and construct of about $14 million, the Cross Prairie Parkway improvements, are intended to accommodate current traffic, and allow for future growth in the area that is anticipated with the Kindred mixed-use development currently under construction just south of Neptune Road.
Kindred developer D.R. Horton was responsible for building the four-lane divided roadway, which was funded utilizing mobility fee credits, as required by County land-use regulations to offset the development’s impact on the County’s transportation network. Boyd Engineering designed the road improvements and Jr. Davis Construction was the construction contractor.
