Florida has kicked off a major project to ease traffic congestion on Interstate 75 near the Turnpike. Governor Ron DeSantis announced the groundbreaking of over 30 miles of new lanes on Tuesday. These lanes will stretch from SR-44 in Wildwood to SR-326 in Ocala, aiming to reduce traffic backups where the Florida Turnpike splits from I-75.

DeSantis highlighted the Moving Florida Forward initiative, launched in 2023, which aims to accelerate road projects and alleviate traffic. The I-75 project near Ocala, originally scheduled to start in 10-15 years, is now underway thanks to this program.

The initiative has expedited at least 20 major roadway projects, including two in the Tampa Bay area. A news release from the governor’s office mentioned the addition of regular and express lanes to I-75 in Pinellas County, projected to reduce travel delays by up to 85% and add capacity along a major hurricane evacuation route. It also noted the reconstruction of the Fruitville Road interchange at I-75 in Sarasota County to a “diverging diamond” design, which will increase volume capacity by 40,000 vehicles and reduce conflict points between vehicles entering and exiting the interstate and opposing traffic.

The Moving Florida Forward infrastructure initiative, funded by $4 billion from the state’s general revenue surplus, was implemented in 2023.

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(Image credit: FDOT)

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