WELCOME!

The Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise appreciates your interest in this project. Please use the navigation menu to view public hearing videos and display boards. Clicking on the graphic will enlarge the view. The display boards are available for download on the main project website under the Documents section. If you wish to submit comments, please use the comment form below.

The Florida Department of Transportation, Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise, welcomes you to the Public Kickoff Open House for the Project Development and Environment (PD&E) Study for the Poinciana Parkway Extension from County Road 532 in Polk County to north of the I-4 / State Road 429 interchange in Osceola County.

Please use the navigation menu to view public meeting videos and display boards. Clicking on the graphic will enlarge the view. The display boards are available for download on the main project website under the Documents section.

To provide a comment at any point during your visit, simply click on the “View Comment Form” button shown below. A comment form will appear, you may close the form to continue through the meeting. Once finished, complete your comment, and click “Submit.” We look forward to receiving your input and continuing to work with you throughout the study.

The study limits extend from south of County Road 532 to north of the I-4 / State Road 429 interchange and includes the portion of I-4 between Exit 58 and Exit 62. The project is located within Polk and Osceola Counties.

To accommodate growth, there are several PD&E, design, and construction projects near this PD&E Study. The most important projects relative to this study include the State Road 429 PD&E Study from north of I-4 to Seidel Road and the Central Florida Expressway Authority’s design project for Poinciana Parkway from Ronald Reagan Parkway to County Road 532. Other projects include I-4 Beyond the Ultimate, Widening County Road 532, and widening Old Lake Wilson Road over I-4. These projects alone do not accommodate all of the anticipated traffic increases associated with growth in this region. Additional improvements are still needed.

Project needs arise from issues and concerns that may frequently slow down traffic, cause delays, or lead to accidents. The need to extend Poinciana Parkway is based on system connectivity, travel demand, travel times and reliability, safety, economic and employment viability, emergency response effectiveness, and planning consistency.

The extension of Poinciana Parkway is a crucial project that will complete the missing link of a series of existing and planned roadways connecting I-4 to Florida’s Turnpike and SR 417.

The Poinciana Parkway extension is needed to enhance safety. Between 2013 and 2017, there were 126 crashes on I-4 and State Road 429 within the study area. Congestion is a major contributing factor. If nothing is done, congestion will continue to rise, resulting in more crashes.

The extension of Poinciana Parkway is needed to accommodate traffic demands and improve travel time reliability by creating a more direct connection between Poinciana Parkway, I-4, and State Road 429. Travelers from the south will no longer have to take County Road 532 and I-4 to get to State Road 429, relieving this section of I-4. The proposed improvements are expected to cut travel distances in half and reduce travel times by 25%, which is a substantial travel time savings during peak periods.

A PD&E Study determines if there is an engineering and environmentally feasible alternative to meet the future needs determined in the planning phase. It involves the preparation of preliminary engineering and environmental documentation.

 

Key components of the PD&E process include an evaluation of existing conditions, identification of future traffic needs, development of alternatives, and an evaluation of the alternatives based on environmental and engineering factors. An important component of the PD&E process is public and agency involvement. All findings and recommendations are documented at the end of the study. If a build alternative is selected, then the project moves forward into the design phase. For more information on the PD&E Study process visit the project website, scroll down to the Documents section, and under videos you will find the PD&E process video.

As part of the study, Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise will evaluate the potential social, natural, physical, and cultural effects of the project. Every effort will be made to avoid or minimize impacts to these features. Impacts that cannot be avoided will be mitigated.

After tonight’s meeting, alternatives will be developed and presented to you for input at an Alternatives Public Information Meeting tentatively scheduled for later this year. A recommendation will be made and presented to you during the Public Hearing tentatively scheduled for the end of next year. This study is expected to be completed by the summer of 2023. Please note that this schedule is subject to change.

This project is being developed in accordance with the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, public participation is solicited without regard to race, color, national origin, age, sex, religion, disability, or family status.  Please contact one of the Title VI coordinators shown here to express any concerns regarding Florida Turnpike’s compliance with Title VI.

If you would like to speak with someone regarding this project, please contact one of the Turnpike representatives listed here.

The environmental review, consultation, and other actions required by applicable federal environmental laws for this project are being, or have been, carried out by the Florida Department of Transportation pursuant to 23 United States Code Section 327 and a Memorandum of Understanding dated December 14, 2016 and executed by the Federal Highway Administration and FDOT.

COMMENT FORM