SANFORD, Fla. – Residents in Seminole County took part in a public information event inside Millennium Middle School on Tuesday evening.
The Central Florida Expressway Authority said it is still in the early phases of the proposed project to connect State Road 417 to the Orlando-Sanford International Airport as it determines whether the construction is feasible.
“It’s really to see if we can actually do it — if it’s cost-worthy to do it,” said Brian Hutchings with CFX. “There’s definitely traffic issues now and are only going to get worse in time, and a project like this will really help improve traffic conditions for those that live and work in this area.”
The proposal includes several different routes to construct a new 2-mile extension on State Road 417, connecting the tollway directly to the airport.
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Andrew Waibel is the HOA treasurer for the Kensington Reserve Neighborhood near the proposed routes.
“I wouldn’t say it’s unanimous, but I will say it’s as close as you can get to unanimous support against building these routes,” Waibel said.
Resident Chelsea LeNoble said the project would take away the natural habitat for wildlife.
“Our remaining wetlands, sort of at the buffer area above, north of Lake Jesup, they are increasingly fragmented. Wildlife and protective species have fewer places to go,” LeNoble said.
CFX said it is still in the very early stages of the project, and nothing has been finalized for the extension.
A firm hired by the express authority said it would cost about $160 million dollars to construct.
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