Just two years after enacting an expedited highway corridor development program, the Florida state Senate has scaled back the effort in the face of pandemic-influenced economic realities.
The bill, which is expected to clear the state House of Representatives and be signed by Gov. Rick DeSantis (R), cancels the 2019 Multi-Use Corridors of Regional Economic Significance (M-CORES) program, which authorized the fast-tracking of upgrades to three transportation corridors using a combination of upgrades to existing highways and new tolled facilities that would be managed by the Florida’s Turnpike enterprise. Totaling more than 300 miles, the program’s estimated costs for full build-out had ranged upwards of $20 billion or more, with construction bonds to be paid off using new toll revenue.