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FDOT delays two-way redesign of MLK/Davis, mayor says timing and costs drove decision
Summary
FDOT told the city it could not complete a two-way redesign of Martin Luther King and Davis Highway within the needed timeframe; the mayor cited a $600,000 design delta and up to $6 million construction cost the city could not absorb and said FDOT prioritized other projects.
The mayor said the Florida Department of Transportation notified the city it would not move forward with converting Martin Luther King and Davis Highway to a two-way street within the timeframe the project would require.
City officials had sought FDOT support and gathered roughly $400,000 for design work. The mayor said the additional design-to-construction delta—about $600,000 for design before a potential multi-million dollar construction bill—made the project unrealistic in the near term. He described the likely construction price tag as about $6 million and noted FDOT's project-priority list affected timing.
"Before you go spend the 600,000 ... we're this is FDOT saying hey we're watching the horizon here and this isn't going to look like it's going to fit within the time frame of design and then whatever year that would be coming back to construction," the mayor said, adding the city would have faced taking on maintenance of a state road.
The mayor also said prior public engagement showed mixed neighborhood sentiment on the two-way proposal and suggested FDOT likely considered both cost and community input. He emphasized continuing collaboration with FDOT on other projects, including the Sun Trail.
What happens next: The city will not proceed immediately with a two-way conversion of MLK/Davis but said it will continue to coordinate with FDOT on resurfacing or other improvements as prioritized by the agency.
