DeSantis: New lanes on Interstate 4 in Polk County will open week of April 28
Construction of 'congestion relief lanes' on Interstate 4 in Polk County has finished ahead of schedule, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Monday.
The project, adding one lane in each direction of I-4 from U.S. 27 in Polk County to World Drive in Osceola County, will be open for use beginning the week of April 28, DeSantis' office said in a news release.
DeSantis announced the Moving Florida Forward initiative last year at a news conference in Polk County. The program includes nearly 700 projects across Florida, with $75 billion in infrastructure investment committed since 2019, the release said.
DeSantis set a goal of completing the new lanes on I-4 in Polk County by the end of this year.
FDOT launched the Moving I-4 Forward program and introduced a new modified phased design-build method, the release said. To supplement the existing three lanes in each direction, construction crews paved the inner breakdown lanes, converting them to traffic lanes.
Polk Parkway East: Polk County transportation board on toll road: Move quickly, protect Bok Tower Gardens
FDOT is also expediting full-build work at the County Road 532 and World Drive interchanges and preparing to launch more projects along the 14-mile corridor from U.S. 27 in Polk County to State Road 536 in Orange County, the release said. Improvements include two new express lanes and one general use lane in each direction, interchange upgrades, bridge work, resurfacing and added safety features.
The agency is planning three major projects, including the new Poinciana Connector, which will begin construction and finalizing engineering this summer, two years sooner than anticipated, the release said. The new roadway connection will link I-4 to S.R. 429 and the future Central Florida Expressway facility, serving one of Osceola and Polk Counties' fastest-growing areas.
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: New lanes on I-4 in Polk County will open week of April 28
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