The fiscal year 2025-2026 “Focus on Fiscal Responsibility Budget” recently unveiled by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) (above) includes a $14.8 billion investment request for major highways, rural roadways, and the state’s growing aerospace and maritime industrial sectors.
[Above photo by the Florida Governor’s Office]
Additionally, the budget recommends advancing $1.7 billion in the current fiscal year to expedite congestion relief along Interstate 4 as well, noted Jared Perdue, secretary of the Florida Department of Transportation.
“By maintaining the momentum in back-to-back historic infrastructure investments, Governor DeSantis is prioritizing Florida’s posture as the standard-bearer in state-led infrastructure delivery—from land, air, space, and sea,” Perdue said in a statement.
[Editor’s note: In a separate statement, the Florida DOT noted that it recently joined with local communities to celebrate the crucial role of Florida’s school crossing guards in enhancing community safety and protecting the state’s schoolchildren and families.]
To further build on Florida’s Infrastructure Blueprint, Gov. DeSantis also directed Florida DOT to seek “additional opportunities” to reduce federal duplication in project development, delivery, and permitting.
Transportation investments highlighted in the governor’s budget include:
- $5.7 billion for highway maintenance and construction; $1.6 billion to resurface 2,647 lane miles; and $954.7 million to repair or replace 64 bridges.
- $252.1 million in safety programs, including continued efforts to reduce wrong way driving and reduce fatalities resulting from impaired driving and illegal drugs.
- $254 million to projects that support Florida’s commercial airports and general aviation facilities.
- $169 million to support the state’s small county grant programs, with Florida DOT recommending an increase in the statutory base allocation for its Small County Outreach Program (SCOP) and the Small County Resurfacing Assistance Program (SCRAP) that, if approved, will raise the total to $219 million.
- $157 million to projects that support Florida’s intermodal freight and rail infrastructure.
- $120 million for projects supporting Florida’s posture as a leader in cruise and cargo operations.
- $90 million to projects in Florida’s Spaceport Improvement Program.
- $13.1 million to support operational technology on Florida’s roadways, including the continued investment in autonomous and connected vehicles.
- $15 million to implement a Statewide Mapping and Geospatial Data Pilot Program to reduce duplication in state-maintained efforts.
- $26.7 million for improvements to Florida DOT facilities, including new building construction for the Northwest Florida District Office and necessary improvements to workspaces in the agency’s Tallahassee Headquarters.
- $2 million to build on the Florida DOT’s professional certification programs, including bridge inspectors and surveyors.
States
NMDOT Seeks Input on Statewide Aesthetics Plan
March 21, 2025
States
