DeSantis Orders Major Road Changes. What Does it Mean for Drivers?

Photo byPhoto 45486881 © Thomas Barrat | Dreamstime.com

More infrastructure projects are set to be completed under the administration of Governor Ron DeSantis as he orders expedited the completion of 20 major roadway projects in Florida in the next four years.

The governor announced the Moving Florida Forward initiative during a news conference in Polk County. This is an exciting choice of words for naming a conservative campaign. But I digress.

One of the projects is in St. Lucie County, and the others stretch from the Panhandle to South Florida.

According to DeSantis, the proposal will reduce traffic, boost existing transportation requirements, increase safety, and pave the way for future growth.

If approved by the Legislature, this proposal would "invest $4 billion of general revenue, redirect an average of $131 million annually to the State Transportation Work Program, and additional leverage funding over the next four years for a total of $7 billion." This proposal aims to strengthen Florida's transportation infrastructure to accommodate the increasing number of people that depend on the state's roadways.

"This proposal will break through the bureaucracy that often slows down infrastructure projects and allow FDOT to target projects that will ease congestion across the state," DeSantis said. "Expediting these projects will bring them to completion more than a decade ahead of schedule."

Among the 20 projects is the St. Lucie County road improvement, expected to cost $58 million, starting in 2027. This project will widen the existing two-lane road to a four-lane divided highway.

Florida currently has more than 22 million residents, and in the first quarters of 2022, almost 105 million people have visited the state. The state roads have been dealing with heavy pressure.

The DeSantis' office said the 20 projects "will build more resilient transportation infrastructure, which is important to the integrity of roadways and corridors, especially during severe weather events such as hurricanes."

What do you think about DeSantis's significant public spending?

Leave your comment below and share this story on social media.