Florida invests $20B to widen Florida Turnpike

Florida is investing more than $20 billion to widen the Florida Turnpike and upgrade its service plazas. The project aims to expand capacity along the 320-mile mainline, stretching from South Florida to I-75 in Wildwood, with the goal of ensuring every section has at least six lanes. Once completed, the improvements are expected to add more than 965 lane miles of capacity to alleviate congestion.

In addition to road widening, the investment includes $8.5 million for new food concepts, amenities, and customer services at service plazas, as well as nearly $54 million to improve truck parking. The Mainline Widening initiative is currently 55 percent complete.

During an event in Orlando, Governor Ron DeSantis suggested a proposal to eliminate tolls for Florida residents while maintaining them for tourists. However, no formal plan, timeline, or funding source has been established for this potential change, and current toll rates remain in effect for all drivers.