The Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise appreciates your interest in this project. 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. 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 Hearing for the Poinciana Parkway Extension Connector Project Development and Environment (PD&E) Study 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 the 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.
To provide a comment at any point during your visit, simply click on the “View Comment Form” button shown below, complete your comment, and click “Submit.” We look forward to receiving your input and continuing to work with you throughout the study.
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.
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 May 26, 2022, and executed by the Federal Highway Administration and FDOT.
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.
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 main project website page, scroll down to the Documents section, and under videos you will find the PD&E process video.
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 enhancing safety, improving system linkage, accommodating travel demand, improving travel times and reliability, planning consistency, economic and employment viability, and emergency response effectiveness.
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 substantially during peak periods.
Improvements to Poinciana Parkway Extension Connector are needed to enhance safety. Between 2017 and 2022, there were 2,992 crashes along I-4 from County Road 532 to World Drive and 134 crashes along State Road 429 from I-4 to Sinclair Road. Twelve fatal crashes were reported along the I-4 corridor. Three fatal crashes were reported along State Road 429 within study limits.
Between 2017 and 2022, there were 241 crashes along US 17-92, and 887 crashes along County Road 532 within the study limits. Five fatal crashes were reported within the study limits along County Road 532. Of the two fatal crashes reported along US 17-92, one involved a pedestrian. Congestion is a major contributing factor to crashes. If nothing is done, congestion will continue to rise leading to an increase in crashes.
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.
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 the anticipated traffic increases associated with growth in this region. Additional improvements are still needed.
As part of the study, Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise is evaluating 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.
The Preferred Alternative keeps the northbound and southbound Poinciana Parkway lanes together as they pass south of the Florida Gas Transmission (FGT)/Gulfstream gas facilities.
This rendering shows what the proposed improvements could look like at the I-4/SR 429 interchange looking south/southeast towards the proposed Poinciana Parkway Extension Connector.
This rendering shows what the proposed improvements could look like at the I-4/SR 429 interchange looking northwest towards Reunion.
This rendering shows what the proposed improvements could look like at the I-4/SR 429 interchange looking southwest towards Tampa.
The evaluation matrix summarizes the effects evaluation results of the Preferred Alternative in comparison to the No-Build Alternative. The preferred alternative improves future traffic operations and safety but requires right-of-way, wetland, surface water, floodplain, and protected species impacts. The total project cost including construction, engineering, CEI, right of way, and wetland mitigation, is approximately 1.7 billion dollars.
The next step is to incorporate your input on this public hearing into our decision-making process. After the comment period closes and your input has been considered, a decision will be made and the Final PD&E document will be sent to the FDOT Office of Environmental Management which based on the MOU signed with FHWA on May 26, 2022, has approval authority on this project granting location and design concept acceptance. This study is expected to be completed in the fall of 2023. Please note that this schedule is subject to change.
If you would like to speak with someone regarding this project, please contact one of the Turnpike representatives listed here.
Thank you for your interest in the Poinciana Parkway Extension Connector PD&E Study from south of County Road 532 to north of the I-4 State Road 429 Interchange.