By Terry Witt – Spotlight Senior Reporter

            The Florida Department of Transportation on Thursday issued a formal news release saying its study of four potential routes for the Northern Turnpike Extension ended due to public opposition and agency concerns, but it left the door open to reassessing other corridor options in this area of Florida.

            A headline over the news release stated, “Department Pauses Northern Turnpike Extension Project.” The headline added that the study concluded after finding no viable proposed corridors.

            “The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) has completed the Alternative Corridor Evaluation Study (ACE) for the Northern Turnpike Extension without recommending a specific corridor and will not pursue the project any further until options can be reassessed to address concerns of the Department and the community,” FDOT said. “Based on feedback received from across the four-county study area, significant concerns were identified with portions of all initially proposed corridors. The department deeply values community input and is committed to thoroughly exploring all concerns received during this process.”

            The news release went on to say the goal of every project is to ensure all needs are met, environmental concerns are addressed and community characteristics are protected. 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,” said Florida Department of Secretary Jared W. Perdue, a professional engineer.

            “In the near term, to help address regional and statewide transportation needs, the Department is dedicating resources to prioritize improvements on the Interstate 75 corridor. Much of the feedback received from local communities during the ACE study recommended reviewing and prioritizing solutions for the I-75 corridor as part of the overall process,” the release said.

            The release added that the foundation of every FDOT project is to balance evolving transportation needs with the community vision of the region and the local area. Conducting evaluations in the early planning stages of projects like the ACE study gave FDOT an opportunity to review impacts and obtain feedback prior to proceeding further on projects.

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Enterprise Reporting/FDOT News Release August 4, 2022; Posted August 4, 2022