Florida Approves Funding Plan for $1.7-Billion Orlando Toll Road
Officially ending months of inter-agency negotiations over funding for the $1.7-billion Wekiva Parkway toll-road project near Orlando, Florida Transportation Secretary Ananth Prasad in late May signed a memorandum of agreement with the Orlando-Orange County Expressway Authority, or OOCEA, that pushes the project one step closer to construction.
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Located in Orange, Lake and Seminole counties, the project will construct 25 miles of new expressway, widen seven miles of state Route 46, reconstruct the U.S. 441/state Route 46 interchange in Mount Dora and relocate C.R. 46A for environmental purposes.
Earlier, the Federal Highway Administration had given FDOT the go-ahead to seek design-build proposals for a three-mile, $35-million section—the only section currently identified for design-build delivery. FDOT advertised for this segment, covering sections 4A and 4B, in March; the agreement indicates construction will begin by October.
Overall, the Wekiva project is divided into eight sections. The current schedule suggests the last section would start construction in 2018.
Robert Burleson, president of the Florida Transportation Builders' Association, Tallahassee, commented on the long-sought project becoming a reality, saying, "We're excited that the project is finally moving forward. A lot of people worked very hard to bring the project onboard. The construction will provide jobs for many central Floridians, and the parkway, once completed, will provide the missing link in Orlando's beltway."
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