Longest Section Includes Key Environmental Protections & Wekiva River Crossing
The Wekiva Parkway stretch featuring extensive wildlife protections that will pass between state parks and across the Wekiva River has taken an important step towards construction. The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) has selected the design-build team led by Superior Construction to build Section 6 of the parkway through parts of Lake and Seminole counties.
The team submitted the winning bid of $234.5 million as part of a competitive bid process. Section 6 involves 6 miles of limited access toll road that will be largely elevated along the existing State Road (S.R.) 46 corridor from the State Road 429 interchange, east of Camp Challenge Road, to near Longwood-Markham Road in Sanford. The project includes a parallel, non-tolled, service road for local travel, and a new, much higher bridge crossing with enhanced aesthetics over the Wekiva River. A multi-use trail along the service road is expected to enhance access to the adjacent state conservation lands.
Construction is scheduled to begin in late 2017. The design-build team must adhere to strict requirements to protect the river, which is designated an Outstanding Florida Water and a National Wild and Scenic River.
Three bridges will be built over the river for the eastbound and westbound parkway lanes, and for the non-tolled service road. Along with the river bridge, three other wildlife bridge locations will allow animals to pass safely between the Seminole State Forest, Rock Springs Run State Reserve and Lower Wekiva River Preserve. The wildlife bridges will total nearly 23,000 feet in length, providing nearly 100 times the safe passageway for animals as the current two wildlife tunnels under S.R. 46 in this area. This section also will feature wildlife fencing to discourage animals from entering the roadway.
If you have any questions, please contact Steve Olson, FDOT Public Information Manager at [email protected], or by telephone at (386) 943-5479. You may also contact Public Information Officer Mary Brooks at [email protected], or by telephone at (407) 694-5505. For more information visit the project website at www.wekivaparkway.com, and follow the project on Facebook and Twitter.
