Another big milestone is coming Thursday for what will be the northwestern side of Central Florida’s beltway as the Central Florida Expressway Authority will open the first portion of the Wekiva Parkway.
- First portion of Wekiva Parkway opens
- Opening to relieve local roads
- Officials hope for road to open by 2021
Sections 1A and 1B mark a stretch of about 5 miles which extends from where SR-429 currently ends at the Connector Road near US 441 to a new interchange at Kelly Park Road.
“This section of the Parkway, the five miles, will be a tremendous relief to local roads,” said Mary Brooks, spokeswoman for the Wekiva Parkway.
“Right now, for example, on Plymouth Sorrento Road on the morning, in the evenings, things can back up a mile or two as far as traffic,” said Brooks.
“So these folks will be able to get onto an Expressway five miles sooner than they can right now,” she added.
The immediate impact the opening will have will help relieve some of the area’s local roads including Plymouth Sorrento Road.
CFX plans on adding 5 more miles to this route this coming spring.
The 5-mile stretch cost $102.5 million dollars to build and will include interchanges near US 441 at Connector Road and another at Kelly Park Road.
CFX is ultimately responsible for ten miles and five sections of the Wekiva Parkway. Officials are hoping the entire beltway will be open by 2021.