ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Central Florida Expressway Authority leaders are continuing to push ahead with a controversial highway project that promises to bring relief to fast-growing eastern Orange and Osceola counties, CFX confirmed Friday.
The Osceola Parkway Extension would run 14 miles from SR 417 through the Sunbridge area. 1.3 miles would be through an easement on the protected conservation land.
Initially, both Orange and Osceola County leaders were in favor of the project to ease congestion. As the years wore on, opposition to the toll road grew.
In November, 86% of Orange County voters backed preserving the forest in a referendum, and Orange County attempted to hit the brakes on its approval of the road.
“I represent a million and a half people that showed up at the polls,” Commissioner Nicole Wilson said. “It has been an ongoing investment. It belongs to all of us.”
In a response to Orange County’s concerns about survey stakes appearing in the forest despite their withdrawal of support, CFX leaders said the approval of prior county leaders had already set things in motion.
“We moved forward with the design of the 14-mile expressway based on a number of approvals both Orange and Osceola counties received from state agencies regarding the section through Split Oak,” CFX spokesman Brian Hutchings wrote Friday.
Hutchings added that two of CFX’s 10-member board represented Orange County, and repeatedly discussed the need for the community’s infrastructure to adjust.
His email included two pictures from Google Maps to highlight the dramatic difference in development over a 20-year span.
One of Orange County’s primary concerns was the promised trade of 1,550 acres of land for the Split Oak easement, with commissioners wondering why the road project was progressing despite the deal not being finalized.
Hutchings said the land swap was in the works and, along with money that will help restore the former orange groves into prime Gopher Tortoise habitat, was set to be finalized in the “coming months.”
He also reiterated that CFX’s project would bring enhancements to Split Oak, including an upgrades entrance, picnic tables and a viewing platform over a pond.
At the request of one commissioner, Orange County leaders will discuss what – if any – actions they can take to stop the road project at an upcoming meeting.
“I think it’s super important for the county commissioners and the mayor to come to terms with that at some point in time, a bad vote happened,” commissioner Kelly Semrad said. “I think that it is time… that Orange County come back to the people with an answer that explains how it happened, why it happened, and why it would never happen again.”
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