Governor: Coronavirus outbreak ‘golden time’ to make progress on construction projects

Will I-4 Ultimate see progress amid pandemic?

I-4 Ultimate (WKMG)

ORLANDO, Fla. – If you’re considered part of an essential business and are one of the few who have had to travel Florida’s roads during the coronavirus pandemic, you’ve likely noticed that even some of the busiest roads have been pretty much empty.

Gov. Ron DeSantis certainly has. And he’s hoping to use this time with fewer cars on the road to make some headway on infrastructure projects in Florida.

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“I think now is a golden time if we’re going to be, kind of in a down state for the next 2-4 weeks, or whatever – however long the guidelines go for – that is the perfect time to really accelerate on some of these busy roads,” DeSantis said in a news conference Tuesday afternoon. “There’s not going to be any traffic jams, so we’re going to identify some projects and hopefully be able to make a big difference.”

Does this mean the I-4 Ultimate Project could be completed soon? Probably not, based on our luck lately, but an I-4 commuting Floridian can dream, can’t she?

Stay-at-home orders have been issued in Orange and Osceola counties. A safer-at-home order is in effect for four counties in South Florida, where the most cases of COVID-19 have been reported.

At last check, more than 6,700 Florida-related cases of the novel coronavirus have been confirmed and 85 deaths have been reported statewide, according to the latest numbers from the Florida Department of Health.

DeSantis said in Tuesday’s news conference that an announcement about what infrastructure projects will be accelerated during the pandemic will be made Wednesday.

To keep up with the latest news on the pandemic, subscribe to News 6′s coronavirus newsletter or go to ClickOrlando.com/coronavirus.


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