AASHTO Journal - Florida Announces I-4 Highway and “Vertiports”Projects

Governor Ron DeSantis (R) (above) recently unveiled plans for two I-4 projects in Central Florida aimed at relieving traffic congestion, as well as construction on two new Advanced Air Mobility or AAM “vertiports” in the same region.

[Above photo by the Florida Governor’s Office]

The two I-4 plans involve construction of 17 miles of new express lanes on I-4 in Hillsborough County and a new 100-slot truck parking facility along the I-4 corridor in Polk County – with both projects overseen by the Florida Department of Transportation.

“Through our Moving Florida Forward initiative, we are making record infrastructure investments and completing projects ahead of schedule to meet the needs of our growing state,” the governor noted in a statement.

“Thanks to Governor DeSantis’ leadership, we’ve successfully brought revolutionary congestion relief projects to life for Florida’s residents and visitors,” added Jared Perdue, Florida DOT’s secretary. “Our work to accelerate congestion relief, especially along the I-4 corridor, is a commitment we will continue to deliver on.”

The new express lanes will bring significant congestion relief to the traveling public by separating long-distance traffic from local commuter traffic, providing additional reliable travel options and enhancing the quality of life for residents traveling in the area, Florida DOT noted.

The agency added that this express lane project has officially been programmed within its project pipeline and will be advanced by 10 years, with construction expected to begin in 2028.

Meanwhile, the I-4 truck parking project aims to support Florida’s freight traffic along the I-4 corridor, which has one of the largest truck parking deficits throughout the state, Florida DOT said, with the new facility built on existing right-of-way within the interchange.

[Editor’s note: Florida DOT’s I-4 truck parking project mirrors similar investments being made by other state departments of transportation in other areas of the country.]

Meanwhile, the agency is also building those two AAM vertiports at its SunTrax testing facility near Lakeland, FL; two sites that mark the beginning of a statewide network of interconnected commercial vertiports, Florida DOT added. The agency also said this project also includes construction of an AAM aerial test bed and provides dedicated airspace to AAM operations.