MARION COUNTY, Fla. – The Florida Department of Transportation says a project that will add and extend turn lanes at the I-75 and Highway 484 interchange in the Marion Oaks area is on schedule to be completed by late fall of this year, pending any weather or unforeseen delays.
One of our News 6 viewers, Lawrence De Graw, contacted us recently through our Results Desk and asked for a status update on the project.
De Graw, who lives in the area, says he’s been dealing with the construction for two years now. He calls the interchange a “crunch point” for people who need to access I-75 from Marion Oaks or Belleview.
De Graw showed our News 6 crew where he feels the biggest problem lies. He says during peak traffic times, the turn lanes can only accommodate so many cars, and so traffic backs up for more than a mile down Highway 484 where people are waiting to get on I-75.
“For a long time, there was nothing,” said De Graw. “Then all of a sudden everything started to flourish. There was a big boom. I mean, you literally could not go anywhere without seeing dump trucks, construction equipment, houses going up everywhere.”
A spokesperson for FDOT says while the Hwy 484 interchange project is on track to be completed this year, along with a companion project to resurface I-75 from S.R. 200 to the Marion County/Sumter County line, the department is also starting work on a project to widen I-75 in that area.
This new project is part of the Moving Florida Forward (MFF) initiative and will add northbound and southbound auxiliary lanes along 75 to reduce congestion.
Marion County also shared a list of nearly 50 of their own transportation projects scheduled for the southwest quadrant of the county. Past, present, and future transportation plans are available to the public online.
Deputy Director of Growth Services Kenneth Weyrauch says the population is growing rapidly. They’re seeing about 10,000-15,000 people a year move to Marion County.
“Last year, we were one of the top metros, growing at 4%,” said Weyrauch. “So, percentagewise, we’re at the top. Numberswise, there are other counties in Florida that are growing a little bit larger, but they have a larger base to start with.”
Weyrauch attributes the growth to a boom in population post-pandemic.
“We had the flow of people that came down south during COVID. And now when we’re seeing pressures along the coastal areas when it comes to insurance and other costs, so they’re moving inland and the areas around Central Florida, especially around Orlando, have been growing quite rapidly for a while,” said Weyrauch. “So they’re starting to fill up, and the growth is kind of migrating to Marion County now, moving north.”
The Marion Oaks area, in particular, is growing rapidly, says Weyrauch.
“Marion Oaks as a whole was created 50 years ago. So, it’s a subdivision that’s existed for 50 years, but it really did not develop very much. It was only a few thousand homes out there for a very long time,” said Weyrauch.
“And then overall, it’s got about 28,000 homes or residential units that it’s allowed to have. And in the last five years, we’ve been seeing 1-1,500 homes being developed each year out there,” he continued. “And now they’re getting close to being about half developed. So, it’s interesting, but also, you’re seeing a lot of rapid growth when the subdivision that large has been dormant for so long. And now it’s finally starting to develop at a rapid pace.”
Weyrauch says other developments around the Marion Oaks neighborhood are popping up too, which intensifies the growing pains that people like De Graw deal with every day. He says there are many upsides to the growth too, such as the business it brings, the jobs it creates, and the convenience residents will have one day in more suburban areas.
“With the expanded growth of residential, you’re going to see more commercial and other industries come into that area. So, that hopefully [will bring] more higher paying jobs,” said Weyrauch. “The folks out there in Marion Oaks won’t have to drive into the city or out of town to have a job, so that will reduce the trips leaving Marion Oaks. And those folks will be able to live, work and play in their own area.”
You can see the list of transportation projects planned or happening in the Southwest quadrant below. A spokesperson for the county says not all of these directly relate to Marion Oaks, but are sure to make the ride in southwestern Marion County more enjoyable:
Projects planned for fiscal year 2024-25 (Oct. 1, 2024 - Sept. 30, 2025)
- County Road 484 (adding 2 lanes - phase one)
- Marion Oaks Manor (adding 2 lanes - phase one)
- SW 49th/40th Avenue (new 4-lane road - phase one)
- SW 80th Avenue (adding 2 lanes)
- SW 105th Avenue (resurfacing)
- SW 38th Avenue/SW Third St/SW 40th Avenue (resurfacing)
Projects planned for fiscal year 2025-26 (Oct. 1, 2025 - Sept. 30, 2026)
- Marion Oaks Manor (adding 2 lanes with I-75 flyover)
- SW Highway 484 (adding two lanes - phase one)
- SW Highway 484 (adding two lanes - phase three)
- SW 27th Avenue (adding two lanes)
- SW 27th Avenue (adding roundabout)
- SW Highway 38th/40th Street (adding two lanes)
- SW 49th/40th Avenue (new four-lane road with median-phase one)
- SW 49th Avenue (new four-lane divided road - north phase)
- SW 49th Avenue (new four-lane divided road - segment F)
- SW 80th Avenue (adding two lanes - segment one)
- SW 80th Avenue (adding two lanes - segment two)
- SW 90th Street (new, two-lane road)
- SW 35th Street/SW Seventh Avenue Road (resurfacing)
- SW 38th Avenue/SW Third St/ SW 40th Avenue (resurfacing)
- SW 43rd Court (resurfacing)
- SW 62nd Avenue Road (resurfacing)
- SW 85th Avenue/SW 145th Street/SW 79th Terrace (resurfacing)
- SW 85th Street/SW 35th Avenue (resurfacing)
- SW 99th Place (resurfacing)
- SW 100th Avenue (resurfacing)
- SW 105th Avenue/SW 105th Street (resurfacing)
- SW 105th Avenue (resurfacing)
- SW 110th Avenue/SW 110th Street (resurfacing)
- SW 125th Avenue
- SW 128th Avenue/SW 129th Terrace Road (resurfacing)
- SW 140th Avenue (resurfacing)
- West Highway 316 (resurfacing)
- West Highway 318 (resurfacing)
- West Highway 329 (resurfacing)
- SW Highway 484 at Marion Oaks Blvd (intersection improvement, adding turn lanes)
- SW Highway 484 at SW 95th Circle (intersection improvement, traffic signal modifications to improve safety and flow through intersection)
- SW Highway 484 at SW 135th Street Road (intersection improvement, adding turn lanes)
- SW Highway 484 at SW 140th Avenue (intersection improvement, traffic signal modifications to improve safety and flow through intersection)
- SW 49th/SW 40th Avenue at SW 66th Street (new traffic signal to improve safety and flow through intersection)
- SW 60th Avenue (intersection improvement, traffic signal modifications to improve safety and flow through intersection)
- SW 103rd Street Road at SW 62nd Avenue (new roundabout)
- County Road 475A (safety improvements to include paved shoulders, high-friction surface treatment)
- County Road 484/Pennsylvania Avenue (new sidewalk)
- Florida Crossroads Commerce Park (grant-funded internal road extension)
- Marion Oaks - Horizon Academy (new sidewalks)
- SW 103rd Street Road (new sidewalks)
