ST. LUCIE COUNTY, Fla. — WPTV is learning about new developments for the Midway Road Widening Project and a partial interchange coming to Florida's Turnpike in St. Lucie County.
Last month, the Port St. Lucie City Council approved the first reading of an ordinance to give 7 acres of land to the Florida Department of Transportation to assist with the interchange.
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"There's a pretty significant gap between the entrances and exits to the Turnpike currently in Port St. Lucie," said Scott Samples, strategic communications manager for Port St. Lucie.
Samples said the interchange is all about accessibility, keeping up with growth in the city.
"This is a way for us to try to accommodate the growth that's already occurred, but also the growth that will occur over the next 20 to 50 years,” said Samples.
FDOT has been constructing the $95 million Midway Road Widening Project to help with congestion and safety.
Crews are currently working on the first phase — widening the road from two lanes to four lanes, first from Selvitz Road to Jenkins Road.
According to the FDOT website for the project, the second widening phase from Jenkins Road to Glades Cut Off Road is still in the design phase and construction is anticipated to begin in Summer 2027.
FDOT is also working on improving the Turnpike bridge and adding a partial interchange for the Turnpike.
According to the FDOT website for the project, the partial interchange is still in the design phase. But work hasn’t gone unnoticed by neighbors.
"They're still doing construction over there," Erin Scheumeister, a Port St. Lucie resident, said. "It was like you couldn't get away from it."
While Scheumeister said the construction can be annoying, she believes it's necessary.
"We definitely needed it to be expanded," said Scheumeister. "It'll be a lot better and easier to get to work."
FDOT said the Midway Road Widening Project will also add bike and pedestrian paths, along with sidewalks.
City council will vote on final approval to give the land at an upcoming meeting.
