Low near 60F. The department studied four potential routes for the Northern Turnpike Extension Project. "The Suncoast Parkway extension is a substantial piece to building regional connectivity in West Central Florida, specifically for the residents in Hernando and Citrus counties, said Nicola Liquori, Floridas Turnpike Enterprise executive director and CEO. Jeff Arms, program manager associated with the Northern Turnpike Corridor Task Force explains to commissioners why the state has provided no proposed routes for the toll road. All rights reserved. The Phoenix is a nonprofit news site thats free of advertising and free to readers. 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-75 is absolutely a priority for the local DOT district here, and weve been coordinating on what needs to be done.. There are four separate proposals to the Florida Turnpike that would extend the interstate from Wildwood through combinations of these counties: Citrus, Levy, Marion and Sumter. WUSF Public Media - WUSF 89.7 | We believe something is needed for the future of Florida.. 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. Extending the four lanes of NW 70th Avenue to the new NW 49th Street extension that will connect the east side of I-75 with its warehouse complexes (Chewy, AutoZone, Amazon, etc.) Three of the four proposed routes go through Marion County. The proposed letter said, in part:"Marion County's foremost objective is to remind the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) that our adopted comprehensive plan prohibits the development of expressways or toll roll roads within the Farmland Preservation Area (FPA).". The red line appeared to draw the wrath of the county commission since it appears to cut through the Morriston area and would potentially ravage farmlands, subdivisions, and forests. 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. 119 0 obj
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Palmetto Express. Sally McDavid, a fourth-generation Floridian, said getting away from urban sprawl is why many people moved to Citrus County. 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. Please log in, or sign up for a new account to continue reading. 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 . Department officials recently released four proposed routes of the turnpike extension, three of them cutting through southwestern Marion County. 75 Express. Three of the four proposed routes go through Marion County. Ron DeSantis, allegedly a graduate of Yale and Harvard Law, who said, I heard some stuff, some weird stuff from the Secretary of Transportation trying to make this about social issues. Many of the people who attended Tuesday's County Commissionmeetingleft disappointed when the board declined to support the "no build" option for the proposed northern extension of the Florida Turnpike. Completed in 1974, the Homestead Extension initially features a wide grassy . It would have impacted large areas in either Citrus, Sumter, Levy and Marion counties. Map of the Sawgrass Expressway, including exits, toll locations and available plazas and rest areas. Bldg. WUSF Public Media - WUSF 89.7 | If you need special accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act or require translation services (free of charge), please contact the Project Manager using the contact information listed on this page. These are the four new proposed routes for northern Florida Turnpike extension. There is something about clueless Florida politicians and greedy developers that forever combines to rank asphalt as more important than saving trees and swamps and farms, so all I can say is: Stay tuned to see how this sequel turns out! In a press release issued Wednesday . Critics dubbed the M-CORES Billionaire Boulevards.. North Florida Roads Information. 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. The Florida Department of Transportation map for the proposed turnpike extension shows routes stretching from where it ends near Wildwood northwest to, or near, where the Suncoast Highway (Florida . Box 613069, Ocoee, Florida 34761 For immediate Release: August 5, 2022 (407) 264-3321 | Angela Starke@2dot.state.fl.us Contact: Angela Starke Department Pauses Northern Turnpike Extension Project ~ Florida Turnpike Enterprise Alternative Corridor Evaluation Study Cancludes with no Viable Proposed Corridors ~ OCOEE, Fia. SR 9/I-95 at SR 842/Broward Boulevard Interchange. Florida's Turnpike. In February, the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) said the four proposed routes for the northern turnpike extension have the potential to adversely affect its conservation lands. The real growing need in our state is to save some green space from being wiped out, not for another toll road. County crews showed up and paved a one-mile stretch directly in front of the mans house. State transportation officials on Thursday officially killed a proposal that would have extended Florida's Turnpike from where it now ends at Interstate 75 near Wildwood east to connect with U.S. 19. We know it connects to I-75.. Instead, the agency would focus on improving Interstate 75. 204 37th Avenue North #182 St. Petersburg . The area north of the interchange has been notorious for massive traffic jams in recent years. We continue the fight to stop the Northern Turnpike Extension toll road and the sprawl inducing expansions along US 19/98. Florida Phoenix maintains editorial independence. By, Port Tampa Bay is seeing an increase in both cargo trade and cruise passengers, SpaceX, NASA try once again to launch a multinational crew from the Kennedy Space Center, Eli Lilly cuts the price of insulin, capping drug at $35 per month out-of-pocket, A proposal would expand Florida's controversial education law on teaching about sexual orientation, 'Whoever holds power, it's going to corrupt them,' says 'Tr' director Todd Field, Greek prime minister says 'human error' caused a train collision that left 43 dead, Rebecca Makkai's smart, prep school murder novel is self-aware about the 'ick' factor, TikTok sets a new default screen-time limit for teen users, A northern extension of the Florida Turnpike is moving ahead, despite public opposition, No New Florida Toll Roads After DeSantis Agrees To Scrap Plan, Florida Toll Road Projects Are Scrapped, Including Suncoast Parkway Extension, Suncoast Parkway Extension Would Shift Closer To US 19 Under Proposal, Full interchanges at US 98 and W. Cardinal Street. Phone: 352.732.0073 Work on the proposed extension, Perdue said, will start up again in the next year or so with the agency re-engaging the potentially affected communities. The initials stand for Multi-Use Corridors of Regional Economic Significance, although I think of the program as Money Can Overcome Reservations about Evil Sprawl., DeSantis signed this waste of taxpayer dollars into law with a comment that sounded more like something youd hear from dopey old Gomer down at the fillin station rather than an Ivy League grad, I think we need new roads in Florida to get around.. They won again a year later, when the Florida Legislature forced the DOT to start planning for the three toll roads known as M-CORES. The final decisions will come from the state, not the county. The latest news and how to stay informed. There are four alternative routes being proposed. "And it does not plow through developed communities and force the removal of families.". WUSF Public Media - WUSF 89.7 | Mike Wright August 4, 2022 5 min. More than two miles of that route would slice through the middle of the Hlpata Tastanaki Preserve, the Cross Florida Greenway and the Goethe State Forest. PO Box 188 Spanning approximately 48 miles (77 km) along a north-south axis, it supplements the 265-mile . M-CORES. I-595 Express Lane Projects. No additional submittals have been received or nor any requests for permits from either project, she said. the proposed northern extension of the Florida Turnpike. Three of the four proposed routes go through Marion County. We, the undersigned residents of Citrus County Florida, strongly oppose the toll road being considered in Project # 14480Turnpike (SR91) Extension at the Northern Terminus. Donald Pleasence saves her by shooting the homicidal maniac six times. 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. (Maybe instead of DOT we should call it the DOh!-OT.). 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. The project included: Constructing full interchanges at US 98 and W. Cardinal Street and a partial interchange at SR 44 Five wildlife crossings 15 new bridges Two all-electronic tolling gantries and equipment buildings The commission majority said it's better to be involved so the county can monitor the process andpersuade state officials to make the best decisions possible to protect Marion's residents and environmentally sensitive areas. To me, a roads a road.. He reminded the audience that Floridas population and development will only continue to grow. 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. The speakers said state officials should have conducted an independent study on the proposed paths and more strongly considered expanding existing roads. Rick Scott ruin their pastures by ramming a strip of asphalt through them! This Northern Turnpike Extension would be. South EXIT 2X Northwest 199th Street (CR 854) - Stadium Miami, Florida EXIT 4X Turnpike south (SR 821) - Homestead . Commissioners Kathy Bryant and Michelle Stone each made suggestionson what language should be used in the DOT letter. At least two of the potential routes show it cutting through Levy County. Instead, contact this office by phone or in writing. The Suncoast Parkway 2 is open to traffic. Turns out, it was one of the best moves I've ever made. How dare then-Gov. Talk to others. 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 Florida's Turnpike from its terminus at Interstate 75 in Wildwood northwest to U.S. 19 in Levy County. About 1,000 people attended a public meeting on. The project followed the Alternative Corridor Evaluation (ACE) process which concluded in August 2022. It said a report was due to the governor, president of the Florida Senate and Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives by Dec. 31. The Audubon Society concurred with SWFWMDs objection and said Alternative Corridor North A has the worst level of impact on the Districts conservation lands. They also said the project would destroy homes and the environment. On Tuesday, June 14, the Sumter County Board of Commissioners got an earful from close to 120 concerned voters adorned with bright pink "Rural Florida Says No Toll Roads" stickers, waving neon green "No Build" signs, and donning "#NoBuild No Turnpike Extension" T-shirts; a loud and clear sign that Sumter residents want no part of the proposed Northern Turnpike . The new Northern Turnpike Extension study has identified four possible corridors for a four-lane toll road and identified them with colored lines on a map. Florida already has more miles of toll roads than any other state. Perdue also acknowledged the congestion and other issues with I-75 through the Marion County area, noting that he drives it himself regularly and he never really knows how long his drive might be. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. The first goal of the Ocala Gazette is to deliver trustworthy local journalism so corruption, misinformation and abuse are not hidden from the public or unchallenged. After extensive study including input from citizens and elected officials, such as Bryant MCORES eventually was repealed. Traffic Information System. He said it would leave a "scar" on the community for a considerable time,and traffic in the area would be severely impactedif the roadway is allowed to come close to Dunnellon. It would have provided a direct route from southeast and central Florida with the panhandle. FDOT Home. They basically wanted to stay the way they were. "The region and local community should be assured that as we continue to refine and develop viable corridor concepts for this area, it will include extensive engagement with community leaders and the community as a whole.. Our stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. Ruthie Davis Schlabach. 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. Meanwhile, reporters dug up the one real beneficiary of all this asphalt: a billionaire named Thomas Peterffy. Several people who came to the podium told the council that they were not in favor of the project, which features four proposed routes that would extend the turnpike north and west of its current northern terminus in Wildwood. View this map in color online. 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.