Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday announced a ramped-up timeline to ease congestion on Interstate 4 by widening the 4.5 miles of between U.S. 27 and ChampionsGate.
He made the announcement at the SunTrax Center in Auburndale to a room filled with Republican supporters and local office-holders.
What’s new? The governor and Florida Department of Transportation Secretary Jared Perdue said they are adding one auxiliary lane in each direction of I-4 between the U.S. 27 and ChampionsGate interchanges beginning this year instead of 2026. The area is known to back up at any given time. The project will cost $635 million. The two new lanes are now scheduled to open in late 2025.
“We want to have good roads. We want people to be able to get where they need to go as quickly as possible,” DeSantis said. “But we’re in a situation where there’s a lot of growth, so we gotta, we gotta accommodate for that.”
Fast growth: In March, The U.S. Census Bureau said Polk County was the fastest growing area in the country in 2023, with more than 26,000 people moving here last year — the equivalent of adding another Bartow and then some in one year. One lawmaker said Thursday that, since 2019 when DeSantis first took office, Florida has added the equivalent of five Orlandos.
Funding: In 2023, DeSantis proposed his “Moving Florida Forward” infrastructure initiative. The Legislature approved $4 billion of the estimated $7 billion cost for 20 construction projects around the state to address congestion, improve safety and roadways, and enhance Florida’s supply chain, including two in Polk County.
This year, the state’s budget dedicates $14.5 billion for 946 transportation projects from Pensacola to Miami.
I-4 from ChampionsGate to Osceola Parkway: Construction is set to begin later this year on a $1.4 billion project to more than double the number of lanes on I-4 between ChampionsGate and Osceola Parkway. The current three lanes in each direction will be widened to accommodate four general-use and two express lanes, plus two auxiliary lanes in each direction.
I-4 and State Road 33: Construction is also slated to begin later this year on a $197 million redesign of the I-4/State Road 33 interchange in northeast Lakeland. Crews have been moving utility lines and outdated natural gas conduits in preparation for the project. A wildlife corridor has already been completed. Once finished, the new configuration will:
- Widen the 2.5-mile segment from Old Combee Road to south of University Boulevard from two lanes to four lanes with a 22-foot median and two roundabouts.
- Widen the 1.5-mile segment from south of University Boulevard to north of Tomkow Road from two lanes to four lanes with a 30-foot median and two roundabouts.
What about I-4 from Lakeland to Tampa? At this point, DeSantis and Perdue have not dedicated any dollars to widening I-4 between Lakeland and Tampa.
“There is a plan in place for I-4 to be widened all the way to Tampa,” Perdue said. “That plan includes a lot of new infrastructure, a lot of new lanes. It’s going to take years to deliver that. But what we’re doing today is focusing in on that most congested piece right now … The challenge is resources.”
What about rail? Thursday’s news conference focused on highways. There was no mention of a Sunrail train line planned to extend from Orlando to Poinciana in eastern Polk County. There also was no mention of a Brightline train between Tampa and Orlando, and whether it would stop in Polk County.
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A day late and $10B short. Typical. Look at GA’s solution. Price tags according to the value of the vehicle. Raise a few bucks.
By the time the widening of I-4 iss completed, we will need two more lanes; just like every other time. We, the state, are never proactive.
The huge population growth and lack of preparation is going to cost us a lot more in the long run.
Aw, come on. Am I mistaken or did they not just finish working in that area? I pity those have to commute on that road.