Construction on the $45 million Oslo Road interchange on Interstate 95 is expected to start as soon as 2027 and be completed by 2030.
Florida Department of Transportation anticipates starting the Project Development and Environment study for the interchange in 2025, said project manager Min-Tang Li.
That would set the stage for construction to start in 2027 or 2028, Li said in an interview May 16 during a public information workshop on FDOT’s master plan for I-95 on the Treasure Coast.
The new interchange is the last major project planned for I-95 in Indian River County through 2045 because projections show there will be enough capacity to handle the traffic, Li said.
Several Indian River County residents said they are looking forward to the Oslo Road interchange opening because it will reduce congestion at the State Road 60 interchange and make it easier to get to and from South County.
“It’s about time,” said Art Neuberger, a retired FDOT engineer, county commissioner and Vero Beach mayor. “That’s growing down there. We’ve been talking about this for a long time. It first came up probably 20 years ago.”
Neuberger said he currently accesses I-95 via Indrio Road in northern St. Lucie County.
Deryl Seemayer, a realtor who serves the county Metropolitan Planning Organization’s citizen advisory committee, said the new interchange is likely to draw traffic away from I-95’s State Road 60 interchange.
“It’s going to relieve the traffic congestion up at State Road 60,” Seemayer said. “For the people who live in the south end of the county, they won’t have to travel far to get onto 95.”
The interchange will lead to commercial development on Oslo Road, particularly near the interchange, Seemayer said. It’s likely to have the same collection of gas stations, fast food restaurants and hotels as other I-95 interchanges in Florida.
FDOT also plans to spend $20 million to widen Oslo Road to four lanes from 58th Avenue to 82nd Avenue, records show. But no money has been allocated for the project.
Indian River Shores Vice Mayor Bob Auwaerter, who serves as chairman of the county Metropolitan Planning Organization, said he expects 53rd Street to be the next location FDOT considers for a new I-95 interchange in Indian River County.
But it depends on how quickly the county grows and could take decades, Auwaerter said.
