Eastern Connector

 The Orlando/Orange County Expressway Authority recently announced its intention to begin preliminary work on a new four-lane highway that will extend from the existing GreeneWay to the Seminole/Volusia county line near Osteen. This major transportation artery will be the most significant highway development in our region since construction of I-4 and I-95. It will be constructed sooner than anticipated. Volusia could face a dramatic increase in development in this area once the new roadway is built and begins dumping commuters right at the County's borders.

 ??Couple this new major highway coming to our front door with more than 300% growth predicted in many areas of Volusia County over the next 20 years, and we have a potential recipe for significant problems. To illustrate what traffic congestion will be like in the future, imagine closing I-4 from the St. Johns River Bridge to SR 44 to understand the volume of traffic that could end up on local roads. Imagine, if you can, the traffic congestion in 15 to 20 years and the development pattern that will occur without adequate planning today.

    In his position, Rep. Mica cannot tell or require local and State leaders to construct a road or infrastructure project. However, he has publicly requested that the Volusia County Council consider carefully the impact of what our neighbors to the South are planning, and that they allow preliminary studies to be undertaken. His recommendation has been that a route be studied for a future limited access highway without tolls and that would have a minimal impact on environmentally sensitive lands.

    The need to deal with a future highway link in this area is not new. In fact, it is mentioned as part of Volusia County’s Long Range Transportation Plan. Furthermore, a study conducted with Volusia County’s support in 2003 identified several potential routes for an Eastern Connector that could provide a link from the Expressway Authority’s new highway at the county line to I-95 north of Edgewater. A limited access road may offer the best way to control development, relieve traffic and protect the environment in the region, similar to the Beach Line (formerly the BeeLine) east of Orlando.

    Part of the problem with our current procedures for transportation planning is the separate jurisdictions of MetroPlan Orlando (which covers Seminole, Orange and Osceola Counties) and the Volusia Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO). Neither agency’s process fully takes into account the consequences of transportation development and planning in the other’s jurisdiction. An example of the problem we currently face was experienced with the replacement of the I-4/St. John’s River Bridge. When Rep. Mica first began work on this effort more than a decade ago, the proposed bridge replacement was not designated as a regional priority by either MetroPlan Orlando or the Volusia MPO.

    With the Expressway Authority’s decision to proceed expeditiously on the project to our south, the Congressman has encouraged local officials in Volusia to plan now for the future. It is vital that planning takes place now, even though construction of a limited access road may not take place for nearly two decades. By setting basic conditions today, we can best limit development and secure environmentally sensitive areas for the future.

    Furthermore, federal funding has been secured for the initial study phase of the project. If the Volusia County Council authorizes the study now, it can be performed in conjunction with the Expressway Authority’s study without cost to the County budget or County taxpayers. Conducted separately and at a later date, this review will be much more expensive.