ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – The Central Florida Expressway Authority (CFX) is taking another step toward widening a key stretch of State Road 408, a route many drivers use to reach downtown Orlando that has long been a source of daily traffic frustration.
On Thursday, the CFX will vote to enter into an agreement for design consult services for the project.
The proposed improvements would add an extra lane on two portions of State Road 408 toward downtown Orlando. One section runs between Goldenrod Road and Semoran Boulevard, while the other stretches from Bumby Avenue to I-4. Both sections would expand from four lanes to five.
A project development and environment study of the potential improvements found that rear-end collisions make up 53 percent of all crashes along the corridor — a sign of just how much congestion has grown as drivers are forced to stop or slow down abruptly in limited space.
Drivers who travel the route regularly say the backup is nothing new.
“[It’s] horrible, horrible,” William Marte Jr. said.
CFX is looking at the impact that improvements along SR-408 would have on traffic. (Central Florida Expressway Authority)
“It’s just been getting worse. Every time, every day, it’s worse, more people live here, more traffic,” Daryle Williams, another driver, said.
Marte Jr. said another lane would be he said it would be a game changer for residents.
“Very crucial because we’re very close to downtown Orlando, and that’s where a lot of people are working at because you got headquarters for Truist down there, the stadium is down there, and a lot of the nightlife is down there,” he told News 6.
Design work on the widening project is expected to be complete by early 2027. CFX plans to hold a public meeting on the project sometime this year.
This stretch is not the only part of the 408 slated for expansion. A fifth eastbound lane is set to be added near Camping World Stadium, between OBT and I-4, by 2029 at a cost of $218 million.
The board will also consider awarding a $137 million contract to connect U.S. 27 in Lake County to State Road 429 in Orange County, though that project is not expected to be finished until 2029.
Last summer, CFX raised tolls by 2 to 5 cents. The authority says the increase helps fund the maintenance, construction, and operation of its 125-mile system.
The board meets at 9 a.m.
For more information on the plan to widen State Road 408, click here.
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