AUBURNDALE, Fla. — Gov. Ron DeSantis announced a plan Monday to expedite the completion of 20 major roadway projects in Florida in the next four years.
The projects range across the Panhandle to South Florida — including one in St. Lucie County.
The governor announced the proposal, called the Moving Florida Forward initiative, during a news conference held in Polk County.
He said the plan would combat congestion, improve safety, bolster current transportation needs and set the stage for future growth.
If passed by the state Legislature, this proposal would invest $4 billion of general revenue, redirect an average of $131 million annually to the State Transportation Work Program and leverage additional funding over the next four years for a total of $7 billion.
"This proposal will break through bureaucracy that often slows down infrastructure projects and allow FDOT to target projects that will ease congestion across the state," DeSantis said. "Expediting these projects will bring them to completion more than a decade ahead of schedule."
Road Project in St. Lucie County
Among the 20 projects targeted for the plan include West Midway Road from Glades Cut Off Road to Jenkins Road in St. Lucie County.
This St. Lucie County project will widen the existing two-lane road to a four-lane divided road, add a 7-foot buffered bike lane on both sides of the roadway and add a 12-foot bicycle/pedestrian path on the south side of the project.
The proposals would add a new partial interchange with Florida's Turnpike, providing ramps connecting to and from the south.
The road project in St. Lucie County would cost an estimated $58 million and begin in 2027.
The governor's office said the 20 projects included in the plan will build a more resilient transportation infrastructure, important to the integrity of roadways and corridors, especially during severe weather events like hurricanes.
Click here for a full list of road projects under the proposal.