- October 13, 2024
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Lev - stock.adobe.com
Florida Department of Transportation Secretary Jared Perdue cautioned House members Friday that a $7 billion proposal to speed 20 highway projects across the state needs to advance as a single package.
“All these things work together and are interdependent,” Perdue told the House Infrastructure & Tourism Appropriations Subcommittee. “So, if any one small piece or part of it were to change, the whole plan would have to be rebuilt.”
Gov. Ron DeSantis rolled out the four-year “Moving Florida Forward” proposal last month. It would use borrowed money and draw money from state reserves to speed up major interstate and roadway projects. The projects focus, at least in part, on growing areas seeing congestion.
“Most of them would not have seen funding for another 15 to 20 years,” Perdue said.
Examples of the proposed work include $1.451 billion to reconstruct Interstate 4 from ChampionsGate to the Osceola Parkway in Central Florida; $479 million to add auxiliary lanes to Interstate 75 between Wildwood and Ocala; $340 million to improve the Interstate 95 and U.S. 1 interchange in Ormond Beach; $162 million to widen Interstate 10 near Pensacola; and $150 million to upgrade the Interstate 95 interchange at Golden Glades in South Florida. Florida has an annual transportation work plan, which this year received $12.6 billion.
DeSantis has proposed a $13.4 billion work plan for the fiscal year that will start July 1. Lawmakers will consider his proposals during the legislative session that will start March 7.
