The Florida Department of Transportation broke ground on an expansion project on I-75 in Ocala, Gov. Ron DeSantis said Tuesday.
The project will add more than 31 miles of new auxiliary lanes to the highway, from State Road 44 in Wildwood to State Road 326 in Ocala. The project, part of the Moving Florida Forward initiative, has been fully funded, DeSantis said, and is beginning ahead of schedule.
“We launched Moving Florida Forward in 2023 to accelerate road projects with an emphasis on alleviating traffic. We are accelerating this I-75 project near Ocala because residents and visitors alike need relief from the congestion,” DeSantis said. “This project was not slated to begin for another 10-15 years, but thanks to our program, construction is now underway.”
Moving Florida Forward has identified critical needs on state-owned roadways. Additionally, the FDOT has identified approved projects with broad community support that lacked funding. The projects will be paid for with $4 billion from the state’s General Revenue Surplus, DeSantis said.
“Thanks to Governor DeSantis’ Moving Florida Forward Infrastructure Initiative, congestion relief along I-75 will be delivered 10-15 years ahead of schedule,” Florida Department of Transportation Secretary Jared W. Perdue, P.E, said. “With nearly 114,000 vehicles driving the corridor daily, these improvements will make traveling easier and bring a $2.3 billion economic impact to the region.”
The Moving Florida Initiative has expedited at least 20 major interstate and roadway project since its launch, including the expansion of lanes along I-4 in Polk and Osceola counties, the addition of regular and express lanes on I-275 in Pinellas County, and the widening of U.S. 98 in Bay County to enhance access to local businesses and increase capacity for drivers in Panama City Beach.