Residents in the eastern Osceola County, including St. Cloud and Harmony, were deluged with four road-related public presentations by three different agencies in the last two weeks.
On March 5, Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise staff were on hand for an open house at the St. Cloud Community Center to update the agency’s current Project Development and Environmental (PD&E) study for widening the highway from north of State Road 60 in Yeehaw Junction to just south of Clay Whaley Road.
The proposed project will widen the Turnpike to a future planned Southport Connector. From there, the plan is to widen to four lanes to south of Clay Whaley Road, where a widening project is already in progress.
The big question looming for many residents was the possibility of at least one new turnpike interchange south of Nolte Road, given the current congestion on arterial roads leading to existing turnpike interchanges and the pending mega residential developments like Whaley’s Landing and Waterlin (formerly called Green Island Ranch) on the southeast shore of Lake Tohopekaliga. In a change from their previous stance expressed last year, Turnpike planners acknowledged in their presentation that they are now coordinating with the Central Florida Expressway Authority, Osceola County, St. Cloud, and local stakeholders edfor future interchange locations. While no development timeline was stated, the study process includes one additional public hearing in the second quarter of 2026, with the study concluding at that time.
On March 12, again at the St. Cloud Community Center, Osceola County held an open house format presentation for the Nova Road widening PD&E study. The project study area is from U.S. Highway 192 to east of Sungrove Lane and the C-32 Canal, to link up with the future Sunbridge Parkway (SR 524) toll road.
The proposed widening project will make that section of Nova Road a four-lane divided road with a 40-foot center median, curbs and gutters, and include a 12-foot multiuse path on both sides of the road. The PD&E Study report is scheduled to be completed and presented to the Osceola County Commission this May.
Both the Nova Road and Sunbridge Parkway Extension projects must be synchronized with the expected completion of an Osceola Parkway extension. Previously, plans were also presented for widening and improvements to Canoe Creek and Hickory Tree Roads, a flurry of activity that will eventually address the daily traffic congestion that currently afflicts the residents of St. Cloud and east Osceola County.
For more information on planned Osceola County road projects, see https://bit. ly/41sH0Pv.
For more information on planned projects see https://bit. ly/3XVubMx.
For more information on the Florida Turnpike widening in Osceola County see https://
