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Florida Turnpike Enterprise details multi-segment widening, interchange studies for Martin County
Summary
Florida Turnpike Enterprise staff told the Martin County MPO the agency has four widening segments in the county, with design funded for three and construction not yet funded; interchange projects and noise mitigation will be studied during design and public outreach later this year.
Florida Turnpike Enterprise officials briefed the Martin County Metropolitan Planning Organization on planned mainline widening and interchange improvements that the agency said are intended to improve evacuation route reliability and traffic safety.
James Brown, MPO liaison for Florida's Turnpike Enterprise, told the MPO that the enterprise has identified four mainline widening segments in Martin County and that design funding has been allocated for three of them. "If you start from the South at Palm Beach County line you have our first widening segment, which is to the Direct Connect Interchange," Brown said, adding that the Direct Connect project is in PD&E and will have a public meeting in the fall.
The presentation described work from the Palm Beach County line north to Martin Highway that would widen the turnpike from four to six lanes, and a separate section from Martin Highway to the St. Lucie County line that is planned to widen to eight lanes. Brown said the project list includes interchange improvements at Martin Highway and a direct-connection (flyover) interchange under study. "We're gonna be widening from 4 to 6 lanes... and then from Martin Highway up to Saint Lucie Interchange, it's gonna be widened to 8 lanes," he said.
Brown told the board that the Martin Highway interchange design began in summer 2024 and is intended to accommodate the future eight-lane facility. He described geometric revisions intended to reduce weaving and add turn-lane capacity: "So you'll have 3 left turn lanes onto Martin Highway." He emphasized that construction of the widening is not funded at this time and that the enterprise is prioritizing projects systemwide.
Noise and visual buffering were singled out as items to be re-evaluated during design. Brown reviewed residential areas identified in earlier PD&E work as potentially qualifying for noise walls and said the design phase will reassess feasibility and consider "visual buffering options" where sound walls cannot be built. He also said the Direct Connect PD&E will present a preferred alternative at a public hearing this fall and that it will include emergency‑vehicle access points.
Board members asked about criteria for sound walls, timing and prioritization of segments, and whether flyover connections exist elsewhere in Florida. Brown and commissioners also discussed public education on the state's "move over" law for stopped or disabled vehicles. Brown closed by describing planned stakeholder outreach and public information meetings to follow during the design phase.
The presentation produced no formal action by the MPO; staff and board members said they expect Turnpike staff to return later in the year with public‑meeting materials and updated schedules.
