Anyone who’s spent time sitting in I-4 traffic knows the nightmare all too well.
The gridlock has been ranked as some of the worst in the entire country.
But Ron DeSantis just gave Central Florida drivers one announcement that will make their commute so much better.
DeSantis accelerates I-4 expansion by a full decade
Governor Ron DeSantis rolled into Bartow last week with news that’s going to change life for thousands of Central Florida commuters.¹
The state is moving forward with 17 miles of new express lanes on Interstate 4 in Hillsborough County — and they’re doing it a full decade ahead of schedule.¹
Construction on the new lanes was originally set to begin in 2037, but DeSantis announced they’re now moving that timeline up to 2028.²
The lanes will run in both directions from Interstate 75 to County Line Road at the Polk County border.²
"Florida’s conservative policies and sound fiscal management have produced one of the strongest economies in the nation," DeSantis said.³
https://twitter.com/GovRonDeSantis/status/1978991222438936745
Anyone who drives I-4 regularly knows this isn’t just another political ribbon-cutting ceremony.
The stretch of I-4 near Orlando’s tourism district was ranked the most congested corridor in the entire country — beating out even Los Angeles’ infamous Interstate 5.⁴
Drivers in that section lost an average of 31 minutes during peak congestion, adding up to 124 hours wasted in traffic per year.⁴
Moving Florida Forward delivers real results
The new Hillsborough County lanes are just the latest project under DeSantis’ Moving Florida Forward initiative.
The governor launched the program in 2023 with $4 billion from the state’s General Revenue Surplus, leveraging it into more than $7 billion in total infrastructure investment.⁵
The initiative identified 20 critical projects that were sitting in the pipeline for 10 to 15 years — and accelerated all of them.⁵
"We could just sit here and say, ‘Oh, we’re going to get to it. It’ll happen, it’s in the hopper,’" DeSantis explained. "But what good does it do to break ground 10 years from now? We need to be breaking ground and bringing these projects to fruition now."⁶
https://twitter.com/GovRonDeSantis/status/1978979668725256288
In April, the state opened two new I-4 lanes between U.S. 27 and World Drive near Disney — eight months ahead of schedule.⁷
Those lanes transformed what was the nation’s worst traffic corridor almost overnight.
The project cost roughly $500 million but delivered immediate congestion relief instead of making drivers wait until 2035.⁸
Freight and innovation round out the announcement
DeSantis didn’t stop with just the express lanes.
The state is also building a new 100-space truck parking facility in Polk County at the Polk Parkway and I-4 interchange.⁹
With 75% of Florida’s freight moved by trucks, the I-4 corridor has one of the largest truck parking deficits in the state.⁹
The new facility will maximize existing right-of-way within the interchange, reflecting what DeSantis called the state’s "commitment to fiscal prudence."⁹
https://twitter.com/GovRonDeSantis/status/1978923089535672354
The governor also announced construction has begun on what he’s calling the nation’s first Advanced Air Mobility testing site at the FDOT’s SunTrax facility in Auburndale.¹⁰
The facility will test electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft — essentially air taxis that can cover about 60 miles on battery power.¹¹
"These vendors, these operators, these manufacturers, need a place to test," Transportation Secretary Jared Perdue said. "We hope Florida will be the first place that they start flying. And it will and can have an impact on I-4, if they’re successful."¹²
Florida’s growth demands infrastructure solutions
The timing couldn’t be more critical.
Florida is experiencing unprecedented population growth, with projections showing 1,000 new residents arriving every single day over the next 30 years.¹³
Central Florida’s I-4 corridor sees roughly 200,000 vehicles daily through some sections — a number expected to grow by another 50,000 in the next 25 years.¹⁴
The state’s economy depends on keeping those vehicles moving.
The economic impact of Moving Florida Forward projects in the I-4 corridor alone is estimated to exceed $13 billion.¹⁴
Transportation Secretary Perdue summed up what makes this different from typical government infrastructure projects.
"Thanks to Governor DeSantis’ leadership, we’ve successfully brought revolutionary congestion relief projects to life for Florida’s residents and visitors," Perdue stated. "Our work to accelerate congestion relief, especially along the I-4 corridor, is a commitment we will continue to deliver on."¹⁵
While other states sit around for decades planning projects that never materialize, Florida is building.
The express lanes won’t open until 2028, but that’s still a decade better than sitting in gridlock until 2037 while bureaucrats push paper.
DeSantis proved with the April lane openings that his administration can deliver these projects not just on time, but ahead of schedule.
That’s what happens when you have a governor more interested in results than process.
¹ Sarah Williams, "More express lanes are coming to I-4 in Hillsborough. Will they help?" Tampa Bay Times, October 17, 2025.
² Michael Costeines, "DeSantis Announces Series of Projects to Reduce Traffic Congestion," The Floridian, October 17, 2025.
³ Ibid.
⁴ Justin Hall, "Study: Stretch of I-4 near Orlando’s tourism district found to be most congested in the U.S." WESH, June 28, 2024.
⁵ Executive Office of the Governor, "Governor Ron DeSantis Announces Moving Florida Forward Infrastructure Initiative," January 30, 2023.
⁶ Kelly Hayes, "Photos Show How Major Florida Highway Will Change by End of 2026," Newsweek, April 15, 2025.
⁷ Mark Thompson, "I-4’s two new lanes open officially today, give some drivers traffic relief," Orlando Sentinel, April 28, 2025.
⁸ WFTV Staff, "DeSantis announces major I-4 expansion," WFTV, October 17, 2025.
⁹ Executive Office of the Governor, "Governor Ron DeSantis Announces Major Advancements for Congestion Relief in Central Florida," October 16, 2025.
¹⁰ Ibid.
¹¹ Gary White, "FDOT will install express lanes on I-4 west of Polk County line, DeSantis announces," The Ledger, October 17, 2025.
¹² Ibid.
¹³ Florida Department of Transportation, "Moving Florida Forward Landing Page," accessed October 20, 2025.
¹⁴ Emma Rodriguez, "How a Major Florida Highway Will Change This Month," Newsweek, April 14, 2025.
¹⁵ Costeines, "DeSantis Announces Series of Projects to Reduce Traffic Congestion."
