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In just a few months we will be able to drive the entire beltway around Central Florida. That’s because the Florida Department of Transportation is nearly finished building the final section of the Wekiva Parkway.
Nearly 23 miles of the parkway is already available for travel, a testament to the collaboration between the Central Florida Expressway Authority, FDOT District Five and the Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise. The $1.6 billion project is filling the missing link in what soon will be a 54-mile beltway around metropolitan Orlando.
FDOT is slated to make the final connections between State Road 429, SR 417 and Interstate 4 by early 2024, weather permitting. The department has opened more than a half dozen new ramps in that $264 million interchange and continues to bring new traffic movements online.
Some 30 years in the making, the Wekiva Parkway is nearing this historic milestone while helping to protect the natural resources surrounding the Wekiva River – a National Wild and Scenic River and Outstanding Florida Waterway. Parkway protections include 3,400 acres of conservation land, 1.5 miles of wildlife crossing bridges, special fencing including wildlife jump-outs and bat houses.
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