“No Build Community” rally on Tuesday to stop Florida Turnpike extension in Sumter County

SUMTER COUNTY, Fla. — Members of the “No Build Community” in Sumter County will rally at 4 p.m. in The Villages Tuesday to urge the Florida Department of Transportation to alter the plans for the Northern Turnpike Extension.

During Tuesday’s rally, they also hope to persuade Sumter County Commissioners to pass a “no build” resolution and send it to the state.

The group says the new extension would impact the communities of Royal, Wildwood, Tillman’s Hammock and Oxford in Sumter County.

Read: ‘Continuing a legacy’: Community founded by freed slaves could be permanently paved over

WFTV brought the issue to light in April when we told you that the small town of Royal, once known as Picketville, could be paved over to expand Florida’s Turnpike.

For more details about the group’s efforts, you can click here.

Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.

©2022 Cox Media Group