The $90 million Crosstown Parkway project entered the home stretch last week with the completion of the bridge across the North Fork of the St. Lucie River.
The major east-west corridor is among a handful of long-term road projects wrapping up this year as local governments in St. Lucie County get set to build $186 million in new projects with proceeds from a sales-tax hike. The half-percent increase in the countywide sales tax that went into effect Jan. 1 will generate roughly $18.6 million per year for 10 years for roads, sidewalks and water-quality projects.
The St. Lucie County Commission will get about $9 million per year to spend on long-awaited projects and the Port St. Lucie City Council will get about $8 million annually. Fort Pierce and St. Lucie Village will also get a share of the money.
While the county and municipal government are gearing up for their new projects, several longstanding projects are set for completion in the next few months.
The most keenly anticipated project is the Crosstown Parkway, a six-lane thoroughfare linking Interstate 95 to U.S. 1 that is expected to relieve traffic congestion on Port St. Lucie, Prima Vista and St. Lucie West boulevards.
Construction started in February 2017 and is set to conclude by Thanksgiving.
Two major projects costing a total of $41.8 million are due to wrap up this spring along Indrio Road between Interstate 95 and Kings Highway.
Some southern Indian River County residents use Indrio Road and Kings Highway as an alternative route to and from I-95, rather than taking State Road 60.
The Florida Department of Transportation is spending $24 million to widen Indrio Road to four lanes from the I-95 interchange to Emerson Avenue, which is also known as State Road 607.
St. Lucie County chipped in $17.8 million to expand the busy intersection of Indrio Road and Kings Highway.
In a related project, FDOT allocated $45 million to widen Kings Highway to four lanes from Okeechobee Road, also known as State Road 70, to the I-95 overpass. Work is expected to be completed in the fall of 2022.
Port St. Lucie commuters no longer have to deal with traffic barriers and construction equipment at the busy intersection of Bayshore and Port St. Lucie boulevards, near the entrance to Florida’s Turnpike. FDOT completed a $1.5 million intersection improvement project in January that began in May.
Port St. Lucie plans to use sales tax money to make a variety of improvements to congested roads in St. Lucie West and Floresta Drive in the next 10 years.
Work is expected to start by the end of the year on $1.2 million in improvements to St. Lucie West Boulevard at its intersections with Cashmere, Peacock and Bayshore boulevards.
The city also plans to use sales tax money this year on $2 million in improvements to Torino Boulevard’s intersections with California and Cashmere boulevards.
St. Lucie County plans to undertake several road repaving projects with sales-tax money during the next year. They include Flotilla Terrace, Johnson and Dar roads, Glenview and San Diego avenues, Prima Vista, Atlantic Beach and North boulevards, and Bimini, Bermuda Beach, Kanner and Marina drives.
