SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. – Of all the roads in central Florida, I-4 is one of the busiest. And if you live in Seminole County, you’ve probably sat in traffic where it gets backed up over the St. Johns River Bridge.
News 6 has learned that commissioners in Seminole County are looking into asking the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to prioritize projects that will alleviate congestion for commuters and residents.
Next week, Chairman Jay Zembower expects to sign a resolution supporting the expedited completion of improvements to the I-4 St. Johns River Bridge.
“As many people know, it’s been dedicated as the most important roadway through the Central Florida region,” said Zembower. “Volusia County and Seminole County collectively, they’ll do their own resolution asking FDOT to consider moving this part of the project further up in priority, because we have that bottleneck at the St. Johns River.”
A lot of work has been done to expand I-4 and add express lanes by Disney and Universal, and there is more construction ahead as improvements are made all the way up towards the Polk County line.
Earlier this week, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced that added lanes from US-27 in Polk County to World Drive in Osceola County would open ahead of schedule the week of April 28.
“We launched the Moving Florida Forward initiative to accelerate major transportation projects that reduce congestion and improve connectivity,” DeSantis said. “With nearly 700 projects underway and $75 billion in infrastructure investment since 2019, we’re delivering real results for Floridians and keeping Florida moving.”
Zembower said work to improve I-4 is warranted throughout the central region, and it’s time for Seminole and Volusia counties to have their needs met.
“The longer we’re waiting for something to happen, the further we get off in history, the more restricted and constrained that roadway is,” said Zembower.
News 6 reached out to FDOT on Thursday to ask for an update on the I-4 segments in both Seminole and Volusia counties. A spokesperson said a study was last re-evaluated in 2016-2017 and was based on traffic data collected in 2011.
The department considered adding express lanes before 2020, but ultimately, the plan was delayed due to rising costs and limited funding.
As Central Florida continues to grow, there is no doubt that there will be infrastructure demands. Our News 6 team met with Seminole County staff last week as they plan ahead for transportation needs based on the growth in the next 20 years.
More than 85,000 people have moved to Seminole County since 2005, according to population estimates the county references from University of Florida, Bureau of Economic and Business Research. By 2045, they anticipate the population to reach 560,100, an increase of 13%.
FDOT says they are also considering that growth as they look at the Seminole County area. A spokesperson said that “with the exponential growth Central Florida has been experiencing in recent years, FDOT is now evaluating the traffic demand based on data collected in 2022, based on a possible opening year of 2030 and design for peak traffic demand projected out to year 2050.”
You can read their full statement below:
"The Project Development & Environment (PD&E) Study for this area of I-4 was last re-evaluated in 2016-2017 and was based on traffic data collected in 2011. That updated plan, which did contemplate the addition of express lanes in Seminole and Volusia counties in the future, looked at a possible opening year of 2020 and was designed for peak traffic demand projected out to year 2040. With rising costs and limited funding, the construction of the I-4 segments in Seminole and Volusia counties was pushed out beyond that timeline.
Meanwhile, FDOT was able to advance several interim improvements based on funding availability, including:
FDOT also accomplished the major milestone of completing the I-4 and Wekiva Parkway interchange in this period. A new SunRail Station opened in DeLand last summer, completing the original vision for a 61-mile SunRail commuter rail line connecting four counties and providing another transportation option for Central Floridians.
With the exponential growth Central Florida has been experiencing in recent years, FDOT is now evaluating the traffic demand based on data collected in 2022, based on a possible opening year of 2030 and design for peak traffic demand projected out to year 2050.
This review, which is currently underway, will allow the Department to determine whether current concepts should be revised to meet the demand for an additional 10 years into the future. In looking at traffic data and working with our community partners, FDOT has already identified the St. Johns River Bridge as a priority for improvements.
As this review continues in the coming months, the Department is taking a value engineering approach to ensure the best value for the taxpayers and also is looking at a phased implementation plan for I-4 projects in Seminole and Volusia counties to balance the operational needs in the corridor as funding becomes available.
Communities are at the heart of everything FDOT does, and the Department is committed to working closely with Seminole and Volusia counties as new improvements are planned for I-4. FDOT expects to wrap up the current review later this year and then will engage the community and stakeholders to share in the vision and gain support for future projects."
Florida Department of Transportation
Chairman Zembower said the county will also be reaching out to federal partners and representatives to see if there’s any funding that they may be able to provide to fast-track the project.
“With the population growth we’ve had, there’s many corridors throughout the entire state that are vying for the same pot of money. So, they have to prioritize it, but our position is Central Florida is the keystone to what happens throughout the rest of Florida,” said Zembower.
