DeSantis unveils accelerated I-4 expansion, new Polk truck parking and SunTrax vertiport testing under 'Moving Florida Forward'

Tampa Bay-area and Central Florida drivers could see major work start years earlier after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced accelerated construction on a 17-mile stretch of Interstate 4, a new truck parking facility in Polk County and development of two advanced-air-mobility vertiports at the FDOT SunTrax testing facility.

DeSantis made the announcements as part of his Moving Florida Forward initiative, which he said has layered more than $7,000,000,000 of additional investment on top of the state’s existing transportation program. “We launched the moving Florida forward initiative a few years ago,” DeSantis said. He also framed the moves as part of a broader fiscal strategy, saying “this fiscal year will bring us to about 50% of that being paid off entirely” when referring to accelerated state debt repayment.

Why it matters: the announcements accelerate projects that officials said otherwise would not begin for a decade or more. FDOT officials described the strategy as combining innovation and additional state resources to shorten timelines, reduce congestion and improve freight mobility along the I-4 corridor.

I-4 expansion in Hillsborough County: DeSantis said the state will build 17 miles of new lanes in Hillsborough County, stretching from I-75 to County Line Road. FDOT Secretary Jared Perdue said the work will be advanced to fiscal 2027 and estimated the phase will cost $500,000,000. “We’re gonna be able to do this for $500,000,000 and we’re gonna be able to do it in ’27,” Perdue said, adding the project had previously been scheduled to start around 2037–38.

Perdue and the governor pointed to an existing temporary congestion-relief lane on I-4 as evidence the approach can cut travel times substantially; FDOT described the temporary lane as having “cut travel times in half” in areas where it was deployed. Officials said the newly announced phase is designed to fit within existing right of way and to be built sooner through state funding and expedited delivery methods.

Truck parking and freight: DeSantis announced a new truck parking facility at the I-4 and Polk Parkway interchange in Polk County that will add 100 parking spaces for commercial drivers. Perdue said the Polk site is part of a broader state effort to add more than 1,400 truck-parking spaces across the I-4 corridor. FDOT described the initiative as intended to improve supply-chain resilience and give long-haul drivers safer, dedicated parking options.

Advanced air mobility testing at SunTrax: The state will expand the FDOT SunTrax research facility to include two vertiports and an aerial test track for so-called advanced air mobility vehicles, officials said. DeSantis and Perdue said the vertiports would support private operators and manufacturers testing battery-powered, short-range aircraft designed to carry a small number of passengers over roughly 60 miles.

Perdue noted federal vehicle approval is expected “sometime in calendar year 2026” and framed SunTrax as a way to speed private-sector entry to market: “How can we support the private sector being successful? Speed to market. You cut through the red tape,” he said. Officials described the SunTrax additions as a national first for an advanced-air-mobility test track.

Other projects cited: DeSantis and Perdue listed additional projects being expedited under Moving Florida Forward, including I-75/I-275 widening in Pinellas County north of Tropicana Field, the I-395 project in Miami-Dade County, a diverging-diamond interchange project near Fruitville in Sarasota, US 98 widening in Bay County and a US 301 realignment in Sumter County around The Villages. Officials said more than 20 major infrastructure projects have been expedited through the initiative.

Funding and fiscal context: DeSantis framed the announcements alongside state fiscal measures, including recent accelerated repayment of taxpayer-financed debt and a suite of permanent tax exclusions the governor cited (no state income tax; elimination of business rent tax; permanent sales-tax exclusions for baby items and disaster-preparedness supplies). He said the state used surplus general revenue to accelerate projects and retire debt, asserting that retiring bonds early saves interest costs.

Implementation and timeline: FDOT described the I-4 phase as a multi-year construction undertaking starting in 2027 for the announced segment. Officials did not provide firm completion dates for the I-4 segment, the Polk truck parking facility or the SunTrax vertiports. Perdue said vehicle approvals and private-sector progress will influence when passenger operations might begin for advanced air mobility services.

What wasn’t decided or specified: The announcements did not include detailed procurement schedules, environmental-review milestones, specific contractors, or precise completion dates for most projects. Officials did not provide a breakdown of the $7 billion in additional investment by project. Federal approvals and private-operator business plans remain external dependencies for the vertiport program.

The governor and FDOT said the state will continue to identify projects that can be advanced on an accelerated schedule; FDOT staff said they have been repeatedly directed to “go faster” to cut through permitting and delivery barriers.

Ending: Officials said they expect the accelerated work to provide near-term congestion relief in Central Florida and to support freight mobility statewide; FDOT emphasized the projects are layered on top of the agency’s nearly $15,000,000,000 annual transportation program.