ORMOND BEACH, Fla. \u2013 Florida\u2019s governor visited Volusia County on Thursday to announce a major upgrade to a long-awaited interchange project \u2014 and revealed construction will begin years ahead of schedule.<\/p>\n
The interchange at Interstate 95 and U.S. 1 in Ormond Beach will be redesigned as a diverging diamond interchange. The governor said his administration moved the construction start date up nearly a decade, a move that drew praise from residents who have pushed for safety improvements at the location for decades.<\/p>\n
Ormond Beach city leaders have reported hundreds of accidents at the interchange in just a few years. The governor cited safety as the driving force behind accelerating the project\u2019s timeline.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis interchange was built in the 1960s \u2014 it\u2019s one of the oldest on our state highway system,\u201d the governor said.<\/p>\n
[WATCH: Construction on I-95 interchange in Volusia County begins (from 2025)]<\/p>\n
Ormond Beach resident Peggy Farmer said the problem has been building for years.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn a four-year period, we had seven fatalities and over 700 accidents and it\u2019s because of that original design in the 1960s and the curve is just too dangerous,\u201d Farmer said.<\/p>\n
Farmer and other residents say the curves are dangerous for large trucks, and the long signal cycles back up traffic on both U.S. 1 and I-95.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen this was designed, Ormond Beach was one-fifth the size it is now,\u201d Farmer said.<\/p>\n
The area has grown significantly since the interchange was built in the 1960s, and the surrounding corridor has become a major destination for motorcyclists, with Destination Daytona and a Love\u2019s Truck Stop drawing heavy traffic to the area.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think that\u2019s where the accidents really escalated because the trucks, some of them just tipped over,\u201d Farmer said.<\/p>\n
The Florida Department of Transportation says the redesign will eliminate the tight ramp curves and lengthy signal phases, replacing them with a diverging diamond configuration. The design moves traffic more fluidly and prevents vehicles from crossing each other\u2019s paths directly.<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course, it\u2019s going to take a little while once it gets going, but we will be patient with that! As long as we see progress being made, we\u2019re just so thankful,\u201d Farmer said.<\/p>\n
The governor also announced the project\u2019s estimated cost was reduced from more than $200 million to $130 million. Construction is expected to begin within the next few weeks and will take approximately three years to complete.<\/p>\n
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