LAKE COUNTY, Fla — Drivers got a chance to use the first section of the Wekiva Parkway on Wednesday after it opened around 10 a.m. in Sorrento.
A portion of the long-awaited parkway is open from Mount Plymouth Road to State Road 46.
Florida Department of Transportation and Central Florida Parkway officials were joined by state leaders as they opened the 3-mile stretch between sections 4A and 4B.
Officials hope this portion of road will help relieve congestion on local roads.
“In the short term it means a travel alternative to County Road 435, which is two lanes, fairly narrow (and) very curvy,” Mary Brooks, of the Wekiva Parkway Project, said.
The $1.6 billion project, which is the most expensive toll road the state’s ever tried to build, still has a lot left to be completed, but the section is a preview of what drivers can expect.
“We expect that the traffic that takes the parkway will make it easier for the locals to get in and out of their homes and businesses on those local roads,” Brooks said.
The segment of road is equipped with all-electric tolling, fencing and bridges for wildlife and a design to enhance safety.
FDOT also purchased 3,400 acres of land for conservation that will remain undeveloped.
When it is finished, the 25-mile road will complete central Florida’s beltway. Officials expect the project to be completed within the next five years for a finished toll road in 2021.
WFTV
