Gov. DeSantis breaks ground to widen I-75
Gov. Ron DeSantis held a ceremonial groundbreaking during his press conference at Don Garlits Museum of Racing Tuesday morning for the widening of 31 miles of the Interstate 75 highway from State Road 326 in northern Marion County to State Road 44 in Sumter County.
DeSantis acknowledged that this stretch of highway through Marion County was one of the worst stretches in the state, with traffic frequently at a standstill—yet it’s a significant artery accessed by “15% of visitors coming from Georgia,” as well as being essential for freight delivery and as a hurricane evacuation route.
In addition to widening the highway, a new interchange is being built at Northwest 49th Street in a “diverging diamond” style, which FDOT indicates will maximize the traffic flow and potentially minimize the risk of accidents by eliminating left turns. As previously reported, the east side of the interchange will join 35th Street to meet 49th Street, and the path cut across the southwest corner of Baldwin Angus Ranch. The long-time cattle ranchers in the Farmland Preservation Area were compelled to sell 35 acres to the Buc-ee’s Franchise, with another 100 acres at risk for a retention pond.
During the press conference, DeSantis acknowledged to the crowd that he was pitched many ideas, but the deal was sealed to expedite funding for the improvements when Marion County proposed a new exchange at Northwest 49th Street to facilitate its growing network of distribution centers and his staff added that Buc-ee’s would be interested in the new interchange.
DeSantis expressed enthusiasm for the quality of Buc-ee’s service stations and acknowledged the owner as “a friend” who has contributed to his campaigns.
The project will take three to five years and cost $550 million.
DeSantis told the crowd that the projects were being delivered 15 years earlier than intended due to the great need and the opportunity for economic development the creation of the interchange brought.
As previously reported, a county spokesperson says that part of the funding that brought the interchange project to fruition was paid for by Marion County’s penny sales tax, which residents just approved for another 20 years.
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