I wasn't always a morning person. But wait, I said, the Legislature killed off those expensive and ridiculous roads to nowhere! I am talking about the Northern Turnpike Extension, which is supposed to branch off from the Florida Turnpike in Wildwood and head north toward some as-yet-unnamed terminus. ", The coalition, which was formed to oppose the proposed toll roads, said "If built, this extension would destroy large swaths of Floridas last remaining rural lands, threaten waterways with pollution, endanger iconic wildlife, disrupt farmlands, and promote unsustainable sprawl.". In an informational packet to county commissioners, it lists weaknesses common to all four corridors: They only provide for northwest-southeast travel from U.S. 19 to Interstate 75/Turnpike at Wildwood. This is a specious argument, given that the task forces found no need for any of the roads, and the DOT has previously committed to improving I-75. Audubon proposes this solution: Build six additional lanes within or contiguous with the I-75 right of way and separate local- and through-traffic. It is a four-lane toll facility that extends the existing Suncoast Parkway northward for 13 miles from US 98 to SR 44 in Lecanto. Lonny Powell, CEO of the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners Association, said, It was great seeing a legacy farm like Bridlewood Farm accepting the Acorn Conservation Award today. Phone: (850) 414-4050. The agency concluded that the Coastal Connector wasnt worth building because the value of that highway paled in comparison to placating a bunch of well-to-do landowners who have been known to make campaign contributions. 119 0 obj <>/Filter/FlateDecode/ID[<76C27D25A123FF41975C3B057A3A3ADB><7E2164D8666286499EE6126893EA10EB>]/Index[87 134]/Info 86 0 R/Length 145/Prev 622759/Root 88 0 R/Size 221/Type/XRef/W[1 3 1]>>stream The toll roads would help rural areas develop so as to accommodate all the new people moving into Florida. Where does it go? That next phase is currently under design, and funding is expected next year. "This extension provides additional transportation infrastructure to support Florida's continued growth and reflects the department's unwavering commitment to the people of West Central Florida.". We hope that you continue to enjoy our free content. An extension of the Suncoast Parkway opened Monday, the Florida Department of Transportation announced in a press release. January 24, 2022 Information is preliminary and subject to change. The proposed Northern Turnpike Extension project would extend the turnpike's northern terminus from Wildwood/Interstate 75 west to U.S. 19. Commissioners on the losing side of a vote cannot take such action. We cover state government and politics with a staff of five journalists located at the Florida Press Center in downtown Tallahassee. Florida's Turnpike. Commissioners will ask the Florida Department of Transportation saying to remove three of the routes recommended for expanding the turnpike from where it now ends at Interstate 75 in Wildwood. Members of the audience jeered, booed and hissed at the prevailing motion. The real growing need in our state is to save some green space from being wiped out, not for another toll road. )G!RJrqj2cW@\YZ8\RF@I5 E4h=>cE$Ey8h>| {]8)h*N}A `'$-?mn`rVtV}!0l]h_wq{mn"02pGQ7NhnOBl(Ta9K. I was reminded of the never-say-die saga of Michael Myers the other day when I got a call from a very angry lady from Levy County who was upset about the M-CORES toll roads. Instead, state transportation planners will look at expanding Interstate 75 north from where it connects with the turnpike. Craig Pittman is a native Floridian. Scott loved toll roads almost as much as he loves his Navy ballcap, but he clearly didnt like this ruckus. Contact Austin L. Miller at 867-4118,austin.miller@starbanner.comor@almillerosb. QAa& FDOT conducted an Alternative Corridor Evaluation (ACE) to evaluate the extension of Florida's Turnpike (State Road [SR] 91) from its northerly terminus in Wildwood to a logical and appropriate terminus as determined by the Department. The Suncoast Parkway 2 is open to traffic. Promotional Rates were found for your code. For such a supposedly educated fellow, our governor sure says a lot of stuff that sounds, well, lets be charitable and call it nave. Anyone with a lick of sense knows theres more to any highway than a roads a road. Building a road requires making choices. Contact Us, Copyright 2023 Ocala Gazette | Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions. Mike Wright August 4, 2022 5 min. Florida Turnpike officials could add four additional lanes elevated or separated from local expressway traffic. MORRISTON, Fla. (WCJB) - The Steeplechase Farms neighborhood Christmas parade is an annual event. Citrus County commissioners last month backed the "no build" option for the northern turnpike extension - at least for those routes that would go through Citrus County. We believe something is needed for the future of Florida.. Folks in Levy County tell me they suspect the real aim here is to provide a highway for Peterffy and other developers. WUSF 89.7 depends on donors for the funding it takes to provide you the most trusted source of news and information here in town, across our state, and around the world. Spanning approximately 48 miles (77 km) along a north-south axis, it supplements the 265-mile . OCOEE, Fla. (WCJB) - After opposition from residents in multiple North Central Florida counties, the Florida Department of Transportation will not pursue the project to extend the Florida Turnpike. I sure hope both of them make the choice to respond, so they can make the people of Levy County understand why they are choosing to do a taxpayer-funded favor for a billionaire that obliterates the local folks property. Turns out, it was one of the best moves I've ever made. Mostly sunny. FDOT Home. The language from Florida Senate Bill 100, the agency said, allows that. August 4, 2022. %PDF-1.7 % A series of speakers attending a workshop mostly opposed the planned toll road. Instead of saying the state should "further examine and evaluate the MCORESrecommendations," Bryant wantedto ask the state to adhere to the MCORES recommendations one of which is that the highway notcross the Cross Florida Greenway in Marion County. SR 869/SW 10th Street Connector from Florida's Turnpike/Sawgrass Expressway to SR 9/I-95. Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. Providing timely responses to inquiries from the press, government officials, and the public is a crucial function of the Florida Department of Transportation. It sounds ridiculous, but that was enough to nail down his familys votes. But when the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the M-CORES price tag suddenly seemed too high and the state made another choice. Low near 60F. Florida already has more miles of toll roads than any other state. Ocoee, Florida 34761 OCALA, Fla. (WCJB) - Marion County Commissioners heard from concerned residents Tuesday on a proposed FDOT project that could go through north central Florida. On Monday, a united Dunnellon City Council unanimously approved a resolution calling on the state to adopt the "no build" option. The approved Turnpike Extension interchange is to be located in northern Miami-Dade County at the proposed west side construction of NW 170th Street (Milepost 37). Osceola Parkway, signed as County Road 522 (CR 522) since around 2003 (and originally planned as State Road 424 [not verified in body]), is a 17.5-mile-long (28.2 km), partially tolled arterial road extending east-west across the northern boundary of Osceola County, Florida, roughly paralleling the border with Orange County.It connects Walt Disney World with Interstate 4 and Florida's . Then, in a move even a dung beetle would call stinky, Galvano announced that he had had a brilliant idea: Florida should build a bunch of expensive roads that the DOT didnt have on any of its maps, and it should do this really fast. I learned about the politics of road-building growing up in the Panhandle. The routes are unlikely to meet the requirement that tolls generated by traffic flow fund 50 percent of debt service at the 12th year of operation. Then, because a history-minded group led by Robert Roscow sued them for paving over Etna, the DOT tried to make up for wiping out that Citrus County site by building a mock Etna. Now Audubon Florida has weighed in and it turns out it also has concerns. In the face of determined opposition from environmentalists and other entities, the FDOT announced in August it was pumping the brakes on four proposed routes that would extend Floridas Turnpike from its terminus at Interstate 75 in Wildwood northwest to U.S. 19 in Levy County. In addition to transportation information, the HFF team also awarded their Acorn Conservation Award to John and Leslie Malone,owners of Bridlewood Farm, a thoroughbred breeding and training facility. The 'North A' route would cut Levy County into two parts. Milepost 263 . Around 100 people waving signs showed up for the Levy County Commission meeting Tuesday to object to the Northern Turnpike Extension, even though that road wasnt on the commission agenda. Providing timely responses to inquiries from the press, government officials, and the public is a crucial function of the Florida Department of Transportation. Suncoast Parkway in Florida That farm and that land is meaningful to him.. An extension of the Suncoast Parkway opened Monday, the Florida Department of Transportation announced in a press release. You can find recent press releases, public notices, media contacts, links to our social media pages and newsroom. Northern Turnpike Extension We are pleased to report that in December 2022, FDOT submitted its required report on the Northern Turnpike segment to the Governor and leaders of the House and Senate. Stone's proposal reminds FDOT that "our adopted comprehensive plan protects the Farmland Preservation Area (FPA) regarding the development of expressways or toll roads." Our stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. Citrus County's elected leaders agreed Friday that the "no-build" option for a possible Florida Turnpike extension is no option for them. The area north of the interchange has been notorious for massive traffic jams in recent years. Directions & Map, 1996 - 2020 Amy Agricola, a local Realtor, told commissioners thatMarion County is unique and beautiful, and commissioners should reject the road plan. Three of the four proposed routes go through Marion County. If you do not want your email address released in response to a public records request, do not send electronic mail to this entity. It is expected to open this spring. That told everyone the DOT doesnt value either forests or history. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph.. 204 37th Avenue North #182 St. Petersburg . Consider adding two new lanes, following a study now being done by the Florida Department of Transportation. He reminded the audience that Floridas population and development will only continue to grow. The latest news and how to stay informed. Even a vehicle just stalled on the shoulder can cause a five-, six-, 10-mile backup. Completing the Central Florida Expressway Authority (CFX) section of the beltway, the five mile segment links Kelly Park Road with the Mt. Commissioner Jeff Gold joined Stone in voting yes. If you dont know the history of M-CORES, heres the Readers Digest version: The then-Senate president, Bill Galvano, met with some people who build roads, the Florida Transportation Builders Association, after they gave his political action committee a big campaign contribution. The decision is considered a win for environmentalists, who have been lobbying various cities and counties to come out against the project. I-75 is absolutely a priority for the local DOT district here, and weve been coordinating on what needs to be done.. Last week, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg lit up the right-wing gasbagosphere by pointing out that a provision in the infrastructure bill would subsidize efforts to repair the damage suffered by minority communities when a road or bridge disrupted their neighborhoods. 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