SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. — If you were planning to take State Road 417 to avoid all of the construction along Interstate 4, you're out of luck because there will be construction on the toll road, too.
Channel 9 learned Friday the express toll lanes the Turnpike Enterprise wants to add to SR-417 between SR-434 and Aloma Avenue will start work the same time as I-4 construction begins.
Seminole County Commissioner Brenda Carey made the details known during a Central Florida Expressway meeting when the turnpike presented the plans to her and the board.
Special Section: I-4 Ultimate Improvement Project
"From my standpoint, it is not a great plan," she said.
The Turnpike Enterprise has already seen a nearly 7 percent jump in traffic on the Seminole County section of the greenway, which is why the turnpike says now is the time to widen the toll road to add the express toll lanes, which will give drivers the option to pay likely 25 cents more than the regular rate to bypass traffic.
That wasn't enough of a good reason to start the construction, Carey said.
"So we would like to get ahead of that instead of waiting even longer as the traffic is increasing on that facility," officials said.
"Well the Ultimate I-4 project has already began," said Carey.
"Right," said a turnpike official.
"Not sure how you get ahead of it now," replied Carey.
And drivers who spoke with Channel 9 said they agree.
"Oh, no," said driver Diane Lauterman. "That's going to be crazy."
A spokesperson with the turnpike told Channel 9 they don't anticipate traffic slowing down because all lane closures will happen at night and the existing lanes will be open during the day.
That's why the turnpike said they decided to move forward with the project the same time as I-4.
The construction is expected to finish up sometime in 2019, depending on the weather. That's two years before the I-4 project is expected to finish.
The entire SR-417 widening and express lanes project will cost toll road drivers $103 million.
WFTV
