ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Increasing toll prices across Central Florida come as the area continues to grow at unprecedented rates.
News 6 wanted to dig into how the money collected from tolls is spent and we found out tolls are the only source of funding for major projects like the new 516 connector road between Lake and Orange counties.
The new 516 connector will connect Highway 27 in Lake County to the 429 in Orange County, helping people bypass the winding two lanes of Schofield Road.
“The 516 is definitely going to be a huge benefit for folks that are trying to get between Lake County and Orange County and downtown Orlando, the airport, you name it, it’s going to be a game changer for people,” said Brian Hutchings, Senior Manager of Community Relations for the Central Florida Expressway Authority.
The new 516 toll road is part of the Central Florida Expressway’s (CFX) $4.2 billion 5-year work plan, which is all funded by tolls.
The 5-year work plan aims to improve CFX’s regional transportation network connecting Brevard, Lake, Orange, Osceola and Seminole Counties.
“Not taxes; user-funded tolls,” Hutchings said. “No gas tax, no anything other than the people that drive the system, fund the system.”
Also, part of the 516 is the ASPIRE program. During the pilot project, Central Florida Expressway will test the program with a special fleet of cars, but the vision is to have electric vehicles charge while they are on the road.
Some of the other projects that are included in the CFX Authority’s five-year plan include wrong-way driver detection at all existing CFX off-ramp locations, resurfacing projects and four new corridors, including the 516 Expressway.
The 516 expansion is set to cost $546 million, and construction is expected to last until late 2027.