Florida to Seek Financial Partners for $2.5B Southport Connector Toll Road
A 15-mile, elevated expressway would be designed to alleviate traffic in a fast-growing section of the state.
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Plans for a $2.5 billion elevated, tolled expressway connecting the Florida Turnpike to Poinciana Parkway are officially moving forward.
The Central Florida Expressway Authority Governing Board recently approved the development and environmental study for the 15-mile Southport Connector Expressway Project, an elevated corridor intended to make long trips in the region easier and reduce local traffic.
The authority plans to finalize the development and environmental study early this year and search for funding partners.
Once completed, the toll road would run horizontally south of Lake Tohopekalinga, from Poinciana Parkway in the Cypress Parkway median to Pleasant Hill Road. The Cypress Parkway would be widened to six lanes and eight of its intersections would be upgraded.
The project aims to ease congestion in fast-growing Osceola and Polk counties and improve access to Interstate 4 and Florida's Turnpike.
Osceola County has become one of the fastest growing counties in Florida, and traffic along the Cypress Parkway increased by 25% between 2019 and 2024, according to the Central Florida Expressway Authority.
Total costs are projected at $2.5 billion, covering $2.3 billion in construction and $210 million in preliminary right-of-way areas.
The Southport Connector Expressway Project falls under the umbrella of Florida’s Move Poinciana initiative, which includes plans for a Northeast Connector Expressway in the same region.
