AASHTO Journal - Florida Speeds Up Clyde Morris Boulevard Project

During a recent media event Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Governor Ron DeSantis (R) (above) highlighted the accelerated start time for a $56 million project to improve Clyde Morris Boulevard – also known as State Road 483 – in Daytona Beach.

[Above photo by the Florida Governor’s Office]

Speaking at the university to spotlight Embry-Riddle’s new research partnership with the Florida Department of Transportation – particularly in the realms of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) and autonomous vehicles – the governor noted that work on that key Daytona Beach roadway will begin two years earlier than originally planned.

“Improvements to Clyde Morris Boulevard have been a top priority for this region for years,” said Jared Perdue, Florida DOT secretary, in a statement.

“Accelerating this project by two years will bring essential safety improvements to a very important corridor for Volusia County, Daytona Beach, and Embry-Riddle University,” he noted.

That project’s improvements include a new pedestrian tunnel under Clyde Morris Boulevard just north of the main entrance to Embry-Riddle; new raised medians in the nearly three-mile corridor; wider sidewalks; a 14-foot-wide shared-use path; traffic signal reconstruction; and a new pedestrian crossing at Buccaneer Way.

Florida DOT credited its strong partnerships with Embry-Riddle, Volusia County, and the City of Daytona Beach, to speeding up the Clyde Morris project’s construction timeline as each donated critical right-of-way to this endeavor.

The agency said construction will begin this fall along Clyde Morris Boulevard from Beville Road to Mason Avenue in Daytona Beach, with the project being built in three segments over the next three years before full completion in 2029.

Meanwhile, the governor stressed that the research partnership with Embry-Riddle will help ensure Florida has the skilled personnel needed to test, maintain, and operate AAM networks and other advanced transportation technologies in the future.